[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6618]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                      ENCOURAGING TRADE IN VIETNAM

  (Mr. CUNNINGHAM asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, last year I went to Vietnam with Hal 
Rogers, chairman, at the behest of Pete Peterson, who is the 
ambassador, and was asked to raise the American flag over Ho Chi Mihn 
City for the first time for over 25 years.
  On that trip, I met with the prime minister, Communist prime minister 
in Hanoi, and I asked the prime minister, ``Why do you not get involved 
in trade?'' In perfect English, the Communist prime minister said, 
``Congressman, we are Communist. If we get involved in trade, we will 
be out of power as Communists.'' At that moment, I said trade is good.

                              {time}  1030

  If we take a look at whether there are problems with the trade with 
China, whether it is humanitarian or whether it is with national 
security issues, it is in our best interest. That is why Taiwan 
supports trade with China. They want China in 20 to 30 years to move in 
a direction of pro democracy, not back to a totalitarian Communist 
State.
  Regardless of how one feels on the trade issue, both human rights and 
national security, it is in the United States' best interest to support 
the trade with China.

                          ____________________