(Washington, DC) – Representative F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Menomonee Falls) made the following statement on his opposition to granting permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status to China.  The House of Representatives today passed PNTR with China by a vote of 237-197.

I cannot in good conscience support granting PNTR, formerly known as most favored nation (MFN) status, to China.  The reasons are both too numerous and too evident to be ignored.

 First, China has consistently violated patent and copyright laws.  The Chinese have pirated numerous intellectual property rights from U.S. inventors at a tremendous cost to U.S. businesses.  In addition, according to the United States Trade Representative, the Chinese have violated trade agreements for each of the last ten years.  This is completely unacceptable.  More gruesome, however, is China's appalling human rights record.  From its forced abortion policies to the repression of religion, the communist leaders of China have demonstrated that the cruelty of their regime is thorough and systematic.

 Notwithstanding Beijing's domestic policies, I am also concerned with the very serious allegations regarding it’s foreign activities.  Allegations of illegal foreign contributions to President Clinton's campaign apparatus at the Democratic National Committee and the potentially illegal fundraising activity by the President and Vice President give me reason to believe that China could likely be a very suspect trading partner.  Further, the efforts by China to obtain U.S. nuclear energy technology and provide missile technology to terrorist regimes in the Near and Middle East have destabilized the region and contributed to the bloodshed.  China's attempt to sabotage Taiwan's elections through military intimidation is another sad chapter that could have led to a confrontation with the United States.

 President Clinton made an all-out effort to persuade Congress to give China PNTR.  The main reason the President is pushing for PNTR is to facilitate China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).  Although congressional approval is not required for China's admission to the WTO, current law requires the President to consult with Congress on WTO issues.  Moreover, U.S. trade law, which conditions the extension of nondiscriminatory tariff treatment to China, would have to be amended for the U.S. to fully apply the WTO agreement to China.

 We have to stand for principle and support those who yearn for freedom.  We cannot put our financial backing behind tyranny and totalitarianism.  If we continue to shy away from addressing a country that supports terror at home and nuclear proliferation abroad, we are selling our conscience, our common sense, and our credibility.  I believe a better message to send Beijing would have been that if it wants the right to preferential trade, it must end the persecution of its people and refrain from actions plainly hostile to the United States.