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The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from California (Mr. DOOLEY) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. DOOLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out in support of the United States Congress granting permanent normal trade relations to China. I rise as a Democrat, one who believes that this policy of economic engagement is in the best interest of the United States on a number of issues.
When we look at the history of Congress and all of the trade agreements that we have had to vote on, seldom, if ever, have we had the opportunity to gain increased access to a market and not have to have given anything in return.
This administration was able to negotiate an agreement that resulted in the United States not reducing their tariffs 1 percent, not reducing their quotas 1 percent, not giving up anything, and in return, we achieved significant across-the-board reductions in tariffs. We received increased market access into China. We received the opportunity to have direct investment to China to over the 50 percent-ownership level in most sectors of their industry.
This is an agreement that is good for American workers, it is an agreement that is good for American businesses, it is an agreement that is good for American farmers.
One has to understand what is going to be the repercussions of the United States Congress failing to support PNTR for China. If we fail to vote for this measure, we are going to ensure that there are U.S. workers that are not going to benefit from the significant reductions in tariffs.
Just to put this in kind of graphic terms, if my colleagues can really think if the United States is still facing the same tariff schedule with China as we are today, and maybe it is in the exportation of auto parts, and if we are in competition with Canadian factories and Canadian workers who have supported the China PNTR who could experience a significant reduction in tariffs, it is clearly going to give that Canadian company the ability to gain that contract that will result in those products flowing into that China market. It will be U.S. workers that are on the outside.
The other thing that is going to result in tremendous benefit to U.S. workers and businesses are the provisions of this agreement that provide for even added protection against import surges coming from China. This agreement will ensure that the United States even has greater protection than it currently does today with import surges. So if we are faced with a situation as we were in years past with a significant increase in the exportation from China of apple juice concentrate, which had a significant impact in any Pacific Coast apple-producing States, or even if we were looking at the importation of large amounts of steel, we would now have the ability to take action specifically against China in order to deal with the import surges that might have resulted in having adverse economic consequences in this country.
Mr. Speaker, there have been a lot of my colleagues that have brought up an issue which is one that we have to address, and that is the issue of human rights and religious freedoms in China. All of us would like to see greater progress in China. But many of us I think agree that the best way to influence the internal affairs in China is by embracing this policy of economic engagement.
I was very honored and pleased to have the chance to visit with Martin Lee who is recognized internationally as one of the leading human rights activists in China, the leader of the Hong Kong Democracy Party. It was his commentary in terms of how we can make the greatest progress on human rights in China that I think resonated more effectively and with greater credibility than anybody I have heard address this issue. He is one who believes very strongly that if we do support this policy of economic engagement and supporting PNTR for China, that we will empower the reformers in China. We will empower the people that are trying to do away from the State-run enterprises. We will ensure that it is the people that are trying to carry out the reforms and bring China into a rule of law regime that their stature will be enhanced by our actions here.
He went on to further state that if the U.S. Congress failed to support PNTR, what we would in effect be doing would be undermining some of the progress that we have seen over the past decades in human rights and religious freedom, that in fact we would be empowering the hard-liners there, the people that want to maintain some of the centralized control of their economy and their society. He cautioned us and actually implored Congress not to take action that would result in China's stepping back and not moving forward.
Another gentleman from the Hong Kong Democratic Party also spoke, and he talked about what is happening with the introduction of the Internet into China. Just in the last year alone, we have seen Internet usage in China increase from 2 million people to 10 million people. It is expected that it is going to increase in this year alone to 20 million people. In the next 4 or 5 years, it is conceivable and quite likely that we will have 100 million people in China with access to the Internet. Why is this important?
I think it is important because I believe the Internet is probably greatest tool for the advancement of democracy that we have seen in the history of mankind. It will be this increased Internet usage in China that will result in more people getting access to information that is not controlled by the Chinese government. Support China PNTR.
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