President Clinton's Decision to Renew Normal Trade Relations with China June 7, 1999 Help | Search:

As Congress returns from the Memorial Day Recess, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney has sent letters to all members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the US Senate regarding consideration of President Clinton's request to renew normal trade relations (NTR) with China for an additional year. Sweeney issued the following statement:

Congress should reject this renewal.

The Chinese government's continuing repression of democratic political discourse, its intolerance for an independent labor movement, and its continued and illegal export of goods produced in forced labor camps, make it clear that 'normal trading relations' is a cruel contradiction in terms.

This year's request is especially important because of the continuing discussions about the possibility of China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Serious problems remain with the commercial terms of accession. Enforcement and compliance problems must also be addressed. Even if these problems are resolved, there should be no accession or grant of permanent NTR status until and unless there is material progress on protecting and respecting workers' rights.

US negotiators must insist on three conditions prior to accession. First, the Chinese government must observe and effectively enforce core labor standards, as they have been defined by the international community at the United Nations Social Summit in 1995, by the WTO ministerial in 1996, and by the International Labor Organization in 1998. Chinese workers must be allowed to join together and bargain in independent labor unions. Second, the Chinese government must immediately free jailed human and labor rights activists. Third, the Chinese government must agree to support US efforts to incorporate enforceable worker rights into WTO rules, including establishing a 'working party' on workers rights.

Until China's very serious abuses of human and labor rights are adequately addressed, China should be granted neither temporary NTR status nor accession to the WTO.

Contact: Deborah Dion 202-637-5036