[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6617]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



           GRANTING PERMANENT NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS TO CHINA

  (Mr. ARMEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, in 3\1/2\ weeks, we will take what will be, I 
believe, the most important vote in this Congress, the vote to extend 
permanent normal trade relations to China.
  Mr. Speaker, this vote is important. It is not only important to our 
own domestic industries, our driving high-tech industry or to America's 
workers in other industry or to America's farmers, but it is very, very 
important, perhaps even more important, to the sense of freedom and 
dignity to the Chinese people.
  Mr. Speaker, this vote is not about allowing Chinese product access 
to American markets, it is about allowing American product access to 
Chinese markets. It is about having the Chinese Government accept the 
discipline of conforming to a worldwide trade regime of rules and 
proper conduct and behavior. That can be infectious, Mr. Speaker. If 
they can accept those disciplines with respect to commerce, they are 
most likely going to accept them with respect to other aspects of their 
life.
  It is about allowing the Chinese people, the normal every day working 
Chinese man or woman, the opportunity to enjoy the information, the 
freedom, the cultural experience, the sharing of America's freedom and, 
by doing so, getting a case to freedom in their own life.
  History has proven, Mr. Speaker, that once people acquire the 
experience of freedom through commerce, they then require freedom in a 
greater share of their life.
  If we want to see the Chinese people free from an oppressive 
government, if we want to see a Chinese Government reform, put freedom 
in the hands of the Chinese people. They, Mr. Speaker, will reform the 
Chinese Government, improve their human rights; and while doing that, 
we will be able to maintain, not only an American economic boom, but a 
world economic boom to the greater good of all the world's people.

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