[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 17892-17893]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



     EXPRESSING THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO AMBASSADOR JAMES SASSER

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to add my voice to others in 
thanking Ambassador Jim Sasser for his service to our country as the 
United States Ambassador to the People's Republic of China for the last 
three and one half years.
  Our friend Jim Sasser has just returned home having distinguished 
himself as the President's representative in Beijing during a critical 
and often difficult period in United States/Chinese relations. He 
understood better than anyone how important it was that he do an 
effective job as United States Ambassador to such a strategically 
important country.

[[Page 17893]]

  When President Clinton nominated Jim as his ambassador he had every 
confidence in Jim's ability to fulfill his diplomatic duties, and that 
confidence was not misplaced. Even before Jim took on this assignment 
he understood that the state of U.S./China relations could have 
profound implications for peace and prosperity not only in the Asia/
Pacific region but globally as well.
  Once confirmed, Ambassador Sasser became an articulate and effective 
spokesman for the administration's policy of engagement with China. He 
rightfully stressed that the United States does not have the luxury of 
not dealing with China. He would remind his audiences that China's 
sheer size, its permanent membership on the United Nations Security 
Council, its nuclear weapons capability, its economic and military 
potential, all demand that the United States engage the Chinese 
Government and the Chinese people.
  Soon after his arrival, Jim established excellent working 
relationships with the Chinese leadership. Both formally and informally 
he encouraged Beijing to view itself as a responsible member of the 
international community and act accordingly. I credit Jim's efforts 
along with others in successfully persuading China to commit itself to 
respect a number of non-proliferation regimes and to take under serious 
review the possibility of formally acceding to others.
  Perhaps Jim's most significant achievement during his tenure was to 
oversee preparations for two high level bilateral summits between the 
United States and China, President Jiang's 1997 visit to Washington and 
President Clinton's return visit to Beijing in 1998--the first such 
meetings between the United States and China in nearly a decade. I 
cannot imagine even the most seasoned of career diplomats performing 
more ably as United States Ambassador than Jim Sasser has over the last 
three and one half years.
  I kept in touch with Jim during his tenure as ambassador. He was 
always enthusiastic and fully engaged in working to ensure that United 
States policies with respect to China served our national security, 
foreign policy and economic interests.
  I have already mentioned to some of my colleagues, that I was 
actually talking to Jim one evening at the very moment that the U.S. 
Embassy was under siege by crowds of Chinese students pelting the 
building with rocks in retaliation for the accidental bombing of the 
Chinese embassy in Belgrade. It showed great courage for him to remain 
in the embassy with his staff rather than be evacuated as some had 
recommended. And through it all Jim never lost his sense of humor.
  Although relations between Washington and Beijing have deteriorated 
in recent months, Jim was able to maintain open lines of communication 
with the Chinese government at the highest levels. He accomplished this 
difficult task by the strength of his intellect and personality.
  Having had the pleasure of serving with Jim Sasser in the United 
States Senate it came as no surprise to me that Jim has been an 
outstanding diplomat. Jim brought to the job of U.S. Ambassador the 
same vision that he brought to the U.S. Senate while he served in this 
Chamber.
  I remember vividly serving with Jim on the Budget Committee --at the 
time I was a very junior member of that committee. From 1989 onward, I 
was able to observe Jim's remarkable, remarkable performance as 
Chairman of that committee as he built support for sound budget 
resolutions. Time after time, he marshaled the votes and brought 
together people of totally different persuasions and opinions--one of 
the most difficult jobs that any Member of this body has. And he did it 
successfully, on six different budget resolutions and three 
reconciliation bills. These victories came under the most difficult 
circumstances--including during the Republican administration of 
President George Bush, when he fashioned one of the most difficult 
budget compromises in modern history.
  Jim has served our country ably as a United States Senator and an 
American diplomat. In fact, there are very few people in public life 
who come to mind who have made the kinds of contributions to our 
country that Jim Sasser has over the years.
  And through it all, never once has Jim or his family complained about 
the personal sacrifices that they have made in their years of public 
service. It therefore seems only appropriate and fitting that I take 
time today to publicly thank Jim, his wife Mary, and his children Gray 
and Elizabeth for all that they have done for our country. It is also a 
personal pleasure to welcome them home to the United States and to 
Jim's beloved State of Tennessee. I look forward to seeing Jim and Mary 
very soon and I know our colleagues do as well.

                          ____________________