DISAPPROVING EXTENSION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT TO PRODUCTS OF PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA -- (Extensions of Remarks - July 30, 1999)

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SPEECH OF HON. PATSY T. MINK OF HAWAII IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TUESDAY, JULY 27, 1999

Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition of providing normal-trade-relations status to the People's Republic of China, because China continues to deny the greater part of its citizenry the most basic human rights; because it engages in the worse kinds of religious, political, and ethnic persecution; because it bullies neighboring countries, and because it undermines international stability by exporting missiles and nuclear technology to some of the world's leading rogue nations.

Every year, we are told that normal-trade-relations status promotes continued economic growth and human rights in the People's Republic of China. While this trade has helped China expand its economy and improve the living standards of a relatively small number of its citizens, I believe it is an absolute stretch of the imagination to argue that China's economic growth has benefited the vast majority of its 1.5 billion citizens who continue to be denied--oftentimes forcibly--the freedom to think, speak, read, worship and vote as they wish.

I simply cannot agree with those who argue that normal-trade-relations will one day result in improved human rights in China as the government of that vast nation continues to violate human rights on a massive scale.

For example, the people of Tibet have been subject to especially harsh treatment by the Chinese Government because their culture and religion are inseparable from the movement that seeks full Tibetan freedom from China--a movement that has been brutally suppressed by the Chinese Government since the late 1940's when armed Chinese forces drove the Dalai Lama into exile.

Since then, the Chinese Government has stepped up its efforts to discredit the Dalai Lama as well as its campaign to eradicate the ancient culture and traditions of Tibet. In May 1994, a new ban on the possession and display of photographs of the Dalai Lama, resulted in a raid of monasteries in which Buddhists priests were brutally beaten by Chinese military personnel.

And it is not just the Buddhists that have been victims of this harassment. Since 1996, all religious institutions in China must register with the state. The failure to do so results in the closure of such institutions--or worse. For example, Human Rights Watch--Asia reports that unofficial Protestant and Catholic communities have been harassed, with congregants arrested, fined, sentenced, and beaten.

Even as recently as July 20, 1999, the Chinese Government has implemented large-scale arrests of Falun Gong practitioners in different parts of China. Falun Gong is a widely practiced meditation exercise that upholds the principles of truth, compassion, and forbearance. Although it has no political motivation or agenda, the Chinese Government has officially banned it as an illegal operation.

Sadly, China's policies have not changed since the United States and China have normalized trade relations. It has persisted on following policies that threaten to make it an increasingly disruptive force among all other nations. China's continuing and growing practice of selling advanced weapons and nuclear technology to Iran, Iraq and other rogue nations, not to mention their theft of U.S. nuclear technology, makes it a threat to world peace.

It should be remembered that, like China today, South Africa had a growing economy, a growing middle class--albeit racially limited, a significant United States business presence, and a severely repressive government. And, just like the arguments supporting normal trade relations with China, it was argued that continued and increased United States trade with South Africa would bring about the economic, social, and political reforms that would inevitably force the South African Government to dismantle apartheid.

However, despite our continued trade relations, the Government of South Africa continued and, in fact, stepped up its campaign of repression and terror, including kidnapping, torture, jailing, and murder, to maintain apartheid. It took a worldwide trade embargo--not, increased trade--to convince a previously intractable South Africa to transform itself into the open and democratic society that it is today. The embargo--not, our previous policy of ``constructive engagement''--convinced the South African leadership to, among other things, release Nelson Mandela from 27 years of imprisonment and recognize the African National Congress.

It took the Western World losing patience with the broken promises of the South African Government to bring about change.