AUTHORIZING EXTENSION OF NON-DISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT (NORMAL TRADE
RELATIONS TREATMENT) TO PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA -- (Extensions of Remarks -
May 25, 2000)
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SPEECH OF
HON. CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY
OF GEORGIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, May 24, 2000
- Ms. MCKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, I am strongly opposed to recognizing, as
normal, China's persistent violations of fundamental human rights, labor
rights, reproductive rights, religious freedom, political rights, social and
economic rights, as well as their export of sophisticated and destabilizing
weapons, and their overt threats to Taiwan, by granting them Permanent Normal
Trade Relations.
- To be sure, some people will benefit from granting PNTR to China. If you
can shut down your production lines in the United States, turn out your
employees, and move your production to China where you can pay workers 25
cents an hour in sweatshop conditions--and have no moral qualms about
that--then this deal can be a sweet one, indeed. But I thought the United
States was supposed to stand for more than just making a quick buck.
- I thought the United States was supposed to stand for what is good in the
world.
- It used to be that we did stand for good in the world. And because of
that, we gained the respect and the moral integrity to make our word prevail
throughout the world. Indeed, our power and authority went well beyond our
ability to rattle sabers and exercise gunboat diplomacy. But it is obvious now
to me, that by negotiating agreements like this that are devoid of moral
content, my country has completely abdicated its professed concern for human
rights.
- My vote against PNTR is not a vote against trade. However, my vote against
PNTR is a vote against the terms of trade that are being employed today by
U.S. firms in China and elsewhere. By granting Permanent Normal Trade
Relations, we now eschew one of our most important tools for examining the
human rights practices of China. Unfortunately, the human rights record of
China will likely get worse before it gets better. And the presence of U.S.
corporations has not had and will not have a positive impact on the human
rights record of China or on workers' rights.
- Each year, the State Department submits to the Subcommittee on
International Operations and Human Rights, where I serve as Ranking Democrat,
its Country Reports on Human Rights. This is our government's formal
assessment of basic human rights practices around the world. The record is
clear. China's human rights record has markedly deteriorated as we have
expanded trade. In fact, this year, my friend and Chairman of the
Subcommittee, Congressman CHRIS SMITH and I had to hold two hearings on
the State Departments annual human rights report--one for China, and one for
every other nation in the world because China's record is so deplorable and is
getting worse.
- But after a historic look at rhetoric versus reality, that should not
surprise us. After all, we had robust trade with the Nazis before World War
II, extensive trade with Iraq just prior to Operation Desert Shield and we
maintained an extensive trading relationship with South Africa during the dark
years of apartheid.
- In fact it was the people of this country--not the corporations--that put
South Africa's human rights record on the national agenda. By focusing on
South Africa, the people demanded the opposite of normal trade relations--an
embargo! U.S. corporations had nothing to do with changing South Africa's
internal policy toward its black majority nor U.S. policy of supporting the
racist apartheid regime in South Africa. The U.S. corporate community, in
fact, protested the embargo and some never abided by it. If we had waited for
U.S. corporations to export democracy, Nelson Mandela would still be on Robben
Island. On this issue, the people were heard over the high-priced lobbyists in
Washington, DC.
- And that is what now scares the high-priced lobbyists in Washington.
- The way to keep China's human rights record on the national agenda is
through our annual NTR review. That is one way that human rights activists in
China and in the
- America's right to know has been severely damaged as a result of this
vote.
- Freedom, equality, human dignity, and human rights are not for sale. And
that's one reason why I chose to vote against this tremendous human rights
give-away.
- Many proponents of PNTR, including Governor George Bush, say that ``Trade
is the way to export freedom.'' A recent study entitled, ``Dollars and
Democracy'' shows the post-Cold War decline of US trade and investment in
developing democracies. In other words, US corporations are running away from
the countries that are struggling to institute democracy--the countries we say
we do like--
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and are flocking to the authoritarian regimes
around the world--the kinds of regimes we say are not good. More to the point,
if given a choice between an emerging democracy and an authoritarian regime
then US corporations take US taxpayer subsidies and choose the regimes that
don't respect human rights, worker rights, or the environment.
- For example, Charles Kernaghan in ``Made in China'' states that at one of
the factories where Kathi Lee handbags are being made for Wal-Mart, the
workers are forced ``to work 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week, with
only one day off a month, while earning an average wage of 3 cents an hour.
However, even after months of work, 46 percent of the workers surveyed earned
nothing at all--in fact, they owed money to the company.''
- Companies are allowed to get away with this kind of worker treatment in
authoritarian regimes, not democracies. Furthermore, democracies tend to be
more transparent and less corrupt. Yet US private investment currently favors
the authoritarian over the democratic.
- Supporters of PNTR dribble on about the need of engagement to facilitate a
``movement'' toward democracy. Yet the facts are that US corporations are
leaving democracies at an unprecedented rate. US taxpayers subsidize this new
``corporate flight.'' And unfortunately, one need only look at Chevron
Corporation and Occidental Petroleum Company to see examples of just the kind
of ``movement'' that we ought not want to export. In fact, Chevron is in
federal court today for aiding and abetting in the murder of Nigerian citizens
demonstrating to protect their environment against Chevron's wanton pollution
of their indigenous lands. Occidental Petroleum seems to be on the same path
as Chevron, willing to run over Colombia's fledgling democracy in order to
despoil the sacred lands of the Uwa people. The U'wa have vowed to die before
Occidental is allowed on their land. None of this bodes well for anyone
involved--except the stockholders, perhaps, of both Chevron and Occidental.
And in China, workers who protest their conditions are fired or could face
prison for life!
- Americans who buy Huffy bicycles, Alpine car stereos, RCA TV's, or
Timberland, Keds, Fubu and Nike shoes or Spiegel clothing should have a right
to know the conditions under which those items are made. American workers who
used to make those items and who are now struggling to find their place in the
new economy, certainly should have a right to know why their jobs ``fled'' to
China.
- Despite the rhetoric, the vote on China PNTR will not protect the US
worker, nor will it protect the Chinese worker. There is a need for something
more. That is why I will soon be introducing the Corporate Code of Conduct
Act. This bill will establish minimum human rights, labor rights, and
environmental protection guidelines based on US and internationally recognized
standards. This legislation will allow us all to put our money where our
professed values are: fair trade, democracy, respect for workers, sensible
environmental standards, and no child labor.
- I believe that our corporations can export freedom, prosperity, equality,
and justice; and our bill, the Corporate Code of Conduct Act, will ensure that
they do.
END