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General Debate
HR 4444, PNTR for China
Randy “Duke” Cunningham
Wednesday, May 24, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of establishing Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China.
My colleagues, China is a rogue nation. Totalitarians and Communists rule it. These leaders oppress their people and deny the basic freedoms and religious liberties that we hold so dear here in America. China regularly fails to abide by standards of good citizenship in the community of nations. China’s officials have been tied with attempts to influence the 1996 elections in the United States through contributions to the Democratic National Committee. This nation's spies have stolen our nuclear technology. It sells missile technology to Iran and North Korea and regularly threatens war against Taiwan.
It is in this environment that Congress must decide whether we should continue our annual renewal of normal trade relations (NTR) for China, and forgo the benefits of lower tariffs and increased access to China’s markets, or grant permanent normal trade relations, (PNTR) for China. I believe firmly that this vote affects the advancement of America's national interests, including include national security, human rights, religious liberty, and commerce and American jobs.
With very few measures have I so deeply struggled with determining the best course of action, and with identifying what is right and wrong for America. After carefully considering all the facts, and reviewing the notes and letters and calls from my constituents, I believe that our best hope for advancing American national interests in China is fulfilled by granting PNTR to China. Moreover, failing to do so today would damage America's national interests, in national security, human rights and religious freedoms, and American commerce and jobs.
Let me first address the matter of American national security. I can assure you that since nearly losing my life fighting communism in Vietnam, the matter of what action best represents America's national security interests is a matter which I take very seriously. Beijing has exhibited poor citizenship in the world. It tested missiles in the Taiwan Straits on the eve of free elections in Taiwan. It has sold missiles and weapons materials to rogue terrorist nations. It smuggled AK-47 rifles into the United States, bound for Los Angeles street gangs. It increased its defense budget 40 percent over the past several years.
However, in light of this current and emerging national security concern, I believe it is only through American engagement, through the extension of PNTR to China, that provides the best hope to advance America's national security interests in China and East Asia. I am under no illusion that by extending PNTR to China will work miracles in the advancement of our national security. It will not. Yet, the penalty of for sacrificing our engagement in China by not granting PNTR is much worse. Denying PNTR to China will not keep China out of the WTO. Denying PNTR to China will not protect Taiwan, which is why the government leaders of Taiwan support granting PNTR to China. Rather, denying PNTR to China would bring instability to this critically important area of the world. Denying PNTR to China would force the Beijing regime away from the United States, undermine advocates for democracy in China, and drive China away from the community of law-abiding countries, into the arms of the world's terrorist nations.
Thus, I conclude that it is in America’s national security interest to encourage American engagement in China and support PNTR for China.
Secondarily, Mr. Speaker, let me address the issue of religious liberty and freedom for the people of China. Again, Beijing's record in this field is repugnant to the cause of freedom. Its list of crimes against freedom goes on and on. Beijing oppresses the Buddhist people of Tibet, and the Muslims of Xinjiang. It strictly limits the rights of Christians from meeting or owning religious materials. It practices a population policy that includes forced abortion and sterilization. It has detained, jailed, and killed its dissidents. It severely restricts the activities of people of faith, and imprisons priests and ministers, and closes house churches that attempt to teach religion free from the reach of the Beijing regime.
Given this challenge, what action advances America's national interest in this area? I conclude that our national interest for religious liberty and freedom is best advanced by extending PNTR to China. Through American engagement we advance American values, through the export of commerce and culture, directly into the lives of Chinese citizens. While I respect the views of my friends at the Family Research Council and other family organizations who strongly oppose extending PNTR to China, it is also true that several U.S.-based organizations that support Christian missionaries in China support PNTR for China. The case for greater commerce with China can, therefore, be cast favorably not just in commercial terms, but in moral terms, as an engine of liberty and freedom in an oppressed nation. This is why many of our nation's most respected religious leaders, from Billy Graham to Pat Robertson, have called for keeping the door to China open.
I agree that PNTR for China will not work miracles for the people of China. It will not directly free a single person wrongly imprisoned by communist government of China. However, Wang Juntao, the leader of the protests at Tiananmen Square several years back, has said this: “I prefer to choose 'yes' . . . Both fundamental change in the human rights situation and democratization in China will come from efforts by Chinese within China. The more the relationship between the two countries expands, the more space there will be for independent forces to grow in China. Such independent forces will eventually push China toward democracy."
American commerce with China will give the Chinese people a taste of economic freedom, and economic freedom will pave a path toward more political and religious freedom.
Lastly, I would like to address the matter of commerce and American jobs with the world's most populous nation. Companies in San Diego engage in significant exports in China. Among these are Solar Turbines, Cubic, Qualcomm, Jet Products, and several other firms large and small, which engage in manufacturing, telecommunications, televisions, computers, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and many other industries, employing thousands of San Diegans in good high tech, high skill, high wage jobs. Furthermore, many American jobs are dependent on imports from China. These include high-tech jobs in the computer hardware and electronic device industries, and hundreds of thousands of lower-tech jobs, including retailers with shops all across America. In addition, American consumers rely on the ability to purchase goods made in China.
The vote before us today is about granting American companies access to China. This vote and WTO membership for China only lowers China’s tariffs and China’s barriers to trade. This action will allow American companies to increase distribution in China, allowing more goods to be made in America and exported. This bill will allow American financial service companies and insurance companies unprecedented access to China’s markets. Our action today will benefit all Americans through greater exports, investment, and opportunity in China.
I want to remind my colleagues that this vote is not a goal line. This is not the end of our duty to the American people on this issue, nor is this the last time that we must face the burden of addressing the shortcomings of China. To use a football analogy, this is another first down in our relationship with China. Since President Nixon returned to China, our relationship has been growing and China has changed. Since I was there 20 years ago, China is a better place.
If we are to continue moving China in the right direction during the next 10-20 years, we must assure that certain conditions are in place to foster that development.
We need a President who will not sell secrets to China for campaign contributions;
A Vice-President that will show leadership and distinguish right from wrong;
A State Department and Commerce Department that will fight for America’s interests and not devalue national security concerns for business expediency;
A Department of Defense that has a strong leadership and the support and funding necessary to defend America and protect our servicemen and women;
And intelligence organizations with the assets and direction to protect our strategic and economic interests here and abroad.
Right now we have none of these things. And because of the repeated failures of the Clinton-Gore administration on China policy, Congress must exercise leadership in the United States-China relationship. Here in the People's House, we must remember that America is the world’s leader in human rights, religious freedoms and peace and prosperity.
I want to close by sharing a recent experience I had in Vietnam. Several years ago, my good friend Rep. Hal Rogers asked me to accompany him to Vietnam to raise the flag and reopen our embassy there. My first response to him was no. I did not want to return to Vietnam. I had lost too many friends and had too many memories of my time there to return. Then Pete Peterson, now our Ambassador to Vietnam, who was then our colleague, called me. Pete said, "Duke, I was a POW. It is tough for me to return to Vietnam, I need you to help me return there and raise America’s flag." To Pete I said “yes.” So I returned to Vietnam.
While I was there I toured old target sites and met with people who had led the Vietnamese Army we fought against. One of those was the head of the Vietnamese security forces. He is now the Mayor of Hanoi. He shared with us many of his thoughts and views on the U.S. relationship with Vietnam and his views on Communism.
When our conversation turned to questions, I asked him why Vietnam was not moving to open trade with the United States. And I will always remember what he said.
He said, “Congressman, we are communists. If we allow trade with America, our people will have things. They will have property and be able to own things without our control. That, Congressman, will hurt us and weaken our control over the people."
When he finished, I thought to myself - “trade is good.”
Mr. Speaker, expanding trade with China advances America’s national interests. Expanded trade will help us weaken the hold of the dictators in Beijing, bring economic prosperity and greater stability to the entire Far East region, and carry American values of freedom and liberty into China.
Mr. Speaker, trade is good.