AFL-CIO President Underscores Opposition to Permanent Normal Trade Relations for China — Says "Toothless Mechanisms" Will Not Bring Change to World's Most Authoritarian Country May 4, 2000 Help | Search:

Congress "should not be lulled into believing that monitoring China's bad behavior is a real tool for bringing about change"

Washington, D.C., May 4 — AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney reiterated the 13-million member AFL-CIO's opposition to giving up annual reviews of China's trade and human rights record in a letter to members of Congress, saying that "the China trade monitoring processes that are being proposed — whether by Representative Levin or by President Clinton — to accompany the granting of permanent Normal Trade Relations to China in no way compensate for the loss to the U.S. of economic leverage on China's behavior with regard to trade, human rights, labor rights or environmental protections."

In addition to the letter, the AFL-CIO sent Congress a fact sheet on the shortcomings of the Levin proposal and another refuting the Administration's contention that permanent NTR for China only benefits the US and costs us nothing.

"The AFL-CIO's adamant opposition to legislation granting permanent NTR to China is in no way lessened by these toothless mechanisms," continued Sweeney.

The reforms advocated by Rep. Levin "present no meaningful remedies regardless of the severity of the offense or violation. And nothing in the Levin proposal changes the fact that if Congress grants China permanent NTR, the US gives away its most important leverage with respect to the behavior of the world's largest and most authoritarian country."

The Administration's proposal to set up a new $22 million bureaucracy in the Commerce Department to monitor's China's compliance with the trade deal and "fast track charges of violations to the WTO is an almost empty gesture" since the US will have "given up effective use of trade sanctions and done nothing to reform the WTO, which currently is in no way prepared to handle the massive noncompliance we can expect from China."

Congress "should not be lulled into believing that monitoring China's bad behavior is a real tool for bringing about change," said Sweeney. Congress should "vote against permanent NTR for China — monitoring process or no monitoring process."

For Information: Naomi Walker, 202/637-5093