[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 2 (Monday, January 17, 2000)]
[Pages 31-33]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to Departure for Annapolis, Maryland, and an Exchange With 
Reporters

January 10, 2000

Normal Trade Relations Status for China

    The President. Good afternoon. This year we face major challenges 
and opportunities in our relationship with China, in foreign and 
security policy, economic policy and trade. All those issues come 
together in one opportunity for the American people: what we

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stand to gain when China enters the World Trade Organization.
    But to lock in our benefits, we first must grant China permanent 
normal trade relations status. To get this done, I am directing John 
Podesta, my Chief of Staff, my international economic Cabinet members, 
my Policy Council coordinators, to launch an all-out effort. Each member 
of this team has a distinctive role to play. I'm asking them to do 
everything they can to accomplish the task.
    To ensure that we have as strong and responsive an effort as 
possible in both parties in Congress, I'm asking Secretary of Commerce 
Bill Daley and my Deputy Chief of Staff, Steve Ricchetti, to lead our 
congressional effort.
    This agreement is a good deal for America. Our products will gain 
better access to China's market in every sector from agriculture to 
telecommunications to automobiles. But China gains no new market access 
to the United States--nothing beyond what it already has. In fact, we'll 
gain tough new safeguards against surges of imports and maintain the 
strongest possible rules against dumping products that have hurt 
Americans in the past.
    China's tariffs on United States goods, on the other hand, will fall 
by half or more over the next 5 years. And by joining the WTO, China 
agrees to play by the same trade rules that we do.
    We continue to have serious disagreements with China on human 
rights, on proliferation, and other issues. We'll continue to press our 
views and protect our interests. This deal will not change China, or our 
relationship with China, overnight, but it is clearly a step in the 
right direction, and it is clearly in the short- and long-term best 
economic interests of the American working people.
    It encourages China also to take further steps in the direction of 
both economic reform and respect for the rule of law. We want to see a 
China that is moving toward democracy at home and stability around the 
world. This agreement gives China's people access to goods and services, 
to ideas and innovations, that will help to promote those goals. It also 
gives China access to the World Trade Organization membership, and that 
will help to promote those goals.
    Bringing China into the WTO is a win-win decision. It will protect 
our prosperity, and it will promote the right kind of change in China. 
It is good for our farmers, for our manufacturers, and for our 
investors. Encouraging China to play by international rules, I say 
again, is an important step toward a safer, saner world.
    I will be working hard over the coming weeks and over the coming 
months to make sure we do not let this opportunity slip away. I want to 
thank Secretary Daley and Mr. Ricchetti for agreeing to take on this 
important task. And we will do everything we can to succeed.
    Thank you.
    Q. What are the chances?
    The President. Well, I think they're quite good if we can get a vote 
early in the year. I think this is something that is in the national 
interest. I have made it clear to the leaders of Congress that I 
strongly support it and that I think it should be scheduled for a vote 
at the earliest possible time. And if we do that, I think we've got an 
excellent chance to pass it.

Elian Gonzalez

    Q. Mr. President, do you think that Congressman Burton is improperly 
interfering in the Elian Gonzalez case by issuing that subpoena? And are 
you troubled that Vice President Gore also thinks that the INS is not 
competent to make the decision and that it ought to be made by a judge 
in a court?
    The President. Well, I believe that the INS made the decision it was 
charged to make according to the rules and laws that govern the INS. And 
if anyone wants to challenge that, the appropriate thing to do is to 
challenge it in a legal way. I don't have any comment about what Mr. 
Burton does or any judgment about it. I mean, it's always interesting.
    Q. What about the Vice President?
    The President. Well, anybody is free to express their opinion about 
this and whether they think they did right or wrong. What I have 
successfully done, I think, is to make sure we got through the decision 
without it becoming overly politicized. We allowed the

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INS to review the facts, to interview the relevant parties, and to make 
a decision based on the law and regulations governing the INS. I think 
they did that to the best of their ability.
    And as I said, if this were an American case, it would be handled in 
a family court, according to the best interests of the child. I think 
the INS tried to do what was right by the child, and I think that they 
did the best they could with a difficult and controversial situation. So 
I want to stand by them. And if anyone disagrees with them and they have 
some legal recourse, they ought to pursue the legal recourse. But again, 
I--and, of course, they can say they don't agree, but I think they did 
the best they could on the facts.

Israel-Syria Peace Talks

    Q. Mr. President, how far do you think that they got in 
Shepherdstown, and when do you expect the two sides to get back together 
again?
    The President. Oh, I think they'll be back here pretty soon. We're 
just trying to work out the precise arrangements. And, you know, these 
people really talked about the substance of their differences for the 
first time. They were very open; they were very candid; they covered all 
the issues. And I think that they broke a lot of ground. But it's tough. 
I told you it was tough in the beginning. I still think we can get 
there, but they're going to have to come back here determined to do so, 
and I believe they will.
    Q. You're not disappointed, sir, in the results?
    The President. Oh, no. I never expected in the first go 'round that 
we could have a concluding agreement. It's just--this is too tough. 
These are very difficult issues. But they're not--the good news is 
they're not overwhelmingly complicated. That is, sometimes you have in 
these peace negotiations issues that are both politically difficult and 
extremely complicated.
    I think there's some complexity here, but it's all quite manageable. 
So I think that they know where they are now; they've talked through. 
They have a feeling for each other; they've dealt with all these issues. 
We have a working--a document, if you will, on which we can work through 
the differences. And so I feel pretty good about it.
    I think our United States team did a good job. I'm very proud of 
Secretary Albright and Mr. Berger and all the rest of them. They did a 
good job. And I think the people who came from Israel and from Syria 
really are trying to make a difference. So if they want to do it bad 
enough and they're willing to sort of take a chance on a totally 
different future, they can get there. And I certainly hope they will, 
and I'm still quite hopeful.

Middle East Peace Process

    Q. You said you were hopeful with the Palestinian talks?
    The President. Oh, very, yes.
    Q. For next month?
    The President. Yes. I'm quite hopeful there, too. Mr. Arafat is 
coming here in a few days, and I'm quite hopeful.

Note: The President spoke at 12:45 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House. In his remarks, he referred to Elian Gonzalez, rescued off 
the coast of Florida on November 25, 1999, whose custody the Immigration 
and Naturalization Service decided in favor of his Cuban father; and 
Chairman Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian 
Authority.