Hon. J. DENNIS HASTERT,

DEAR MR. SPEAKER:

The NAE has been vocal about the religious persecution of Christians and others around the world. Its 1996 ``Statement of Conscience Concerning Worldwide Religious Persecution,'' was the touchstone of a movement culminating in the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act. (I helped draft that statement and have been involved with China for more than twenty-five years, most recently participating as a staff member to President Clinton's ``Religious Leaders' Delegation To the People's Republic of China.'')

Millions of evangelicals, many within our 51 denominations and 43,000 churches, are convinced that we need to end the fractious debate over China trade policy which is damaging confidence in the United States among the Chinese people and elsewhere. Moreover, to have an effective policy that can actually achieve several goals--including gains in human rights and cooperative rather than hostile relations--requires a consistent policy that can only come from bipartisan consensus based on public support.

I respectively suggest the following might help to create that new consensus.

Send clear signals to the government of the PRC of its primary responsibility to protect human rights and bring about social justice in China. For example, officials in Beijing and in Henan Province should immediately grant full freedom to Pastor and evangelist Peter Xu Yongzhe. Freeing Xu and other prisoners of conscience who have been unjustly detained or imprisoned would be an important step by China in terms of improving human rights, strengthening the rule of law, and building better relations with the United States. (The persecution of people of faith was raised by the members of the Religious Delegation in all of our meetings with government officials--including President Jiang Zemin.)

Recognize that there are no instant solutions but that progress is being made. China's cultural legacy of authoritarianism, the complexity of change, and the lagging of political reform behind economic developments requires a long-term struggle for human dignity and social justice. We should affirm the far-reaching improvements in personal freedoms and social-economic livelihood achieved over the past twenty years by the Chinese people in their attempt to leave behind the horrors of Maoism and to create a more democratic society.

Keep in mind that the key agents of change in China are Chinese citizens whose opinions will have growing impact on government action. We must ensure that our actions support rather than damage their efforts. In recent years, our annual debate over trade and human rights, while drawing attention to the religious liberty violations that should concern all Americans, has fueled hostility between Chinese and Americans rather than bringing about positive change in China. Additionally, it has served to strengthen the hand of Communist hardliners who oppose economic and political reform, as well as an improvement in US-Sino relations.

Listen carefully to the views of Chinese citizens, Americans living and working in China, and citizens of Hong Kong and Taiwan, all whom will be the most affected by the outcome. Many Chinese Christians, including those in the unregistered house churches and those in the US, call for expanded trade through the World Trade Organization because it helps create acceptance of international norms and keeps the door open to religious exchanges and cooperation. Trade sanctions increase social discrimination and government pressure against these believers.

Pay more attention to the real impact of our actions inside China. Using trade restrictions to send a signal of disapproval to the PRC government is likely to fuel widespread public resentment of the United States. Restrictions on trade will be interpreted as an effort to block China's membership in the World Trade Organization and thus to stymie progress or even destabilize China. This will inevitably arouse anti-American sentiment, especially among younger generations.

Recognize that the United States government is only one actor and that many American institutions exert great influence in China, especially on moral and social issues. Religious groups, businesses, nonprofit institutions, academic, and medical organizations, as they interact with their Chinese counterparts, need to raise our concerns about human rights abuses. They also need to find constructive ways to assist efforts to speed up the restructuring of social and political institutions necessary to underpin the rule of law.

Let me make some specific suggestions on what should be done next.

(1) This administration and the next should make greater efforts to work multilaterally, especially with Asian nations, both to enforce China's compliance with WTO standards over the next decade and to create regional support for human rights. This will help create internal pressures for government conformity with international standards.

(2) Congress should work to establish good working relations with the National People's Congress of China in order to encourage good legislative practices. Congress should fully fund all the functions it has mandated to the Department of State and other government agencies.

(3) The Commission on International Religious Freedom (CIRF) should organize and fund a cooperative government-nongovernmental effort to improve the accuracy of reporting on the religious situation in China. It should encourage reporting by province and major city to highlight the responsibilities of local officials.

(4) The formation of a new bipartisan commission to coordinate all the goals (including religious freedom) of a consistent long-term policy toward China would be most effective if it focuses not on a single set of issues or short-term aims, but on effective strategy and tactics, and fosters dialogue with representatives of all the diverse sectors in our society that are involved with China.

(5) Congress should demonstrate the strength of its resolve on matters of human rights and religious freedom by enacting--not broad and blanket sanctions--but targeted and measured sanctions designed to accomplish their intended objective. For example, firm action against China National Petroleum Company's role in financing genocide in Sudan would send an indirect signal to China about our commitment to deal with religious persecution.

It is especially disturbing to me that during the past year there has been an escalation of harassment, intimidation, and persecution of people of faith. However, in my opinion (and that of organizations such as China Source, which represents dozens of Christian organizations working in China), granting permanent normal trade relations with China will ultimately result in greater religious freedom for the Chinese people, not less.

Sincerely Yours,

END