OPENING DOORS TO THE PEOPLE OF CHINA -- (House of Representatives - May 10, 2000)

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(Mr. LINDER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity to encourage change in China. PNTR for China will provide the Chinese people with access to western influence and ideas by forcing China to open their society to bring about positive economic and social changes.

George W. Bush recently commented on Ronald Reagan's ``forward strategy for freedom.'' The Reagan adage, as espoused by the Texas governor, is that ``the case for trade is not just monetary, but moral. Economic freedom creates habits of liberty. And habits of liberty guarantee expectations of democracy. There are no guarantees, but there are good examples from Chile to Taiwan. Trade freely with China and time is on our side.''

I also agree with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who predicts that

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democracy will move steadily up the scale from the village to the province and, ultimately, to the highest national level.

We cannot achieve these goals through economic isolationism. Wang Dan, a student leader at Tiananmen Square, said ``the west should not try to isolate the Communist regime. Economic change does influence political change.'' Let us support PNTR and allow free trade to open doors to the people of China.

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