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 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON - What would you call a government that suppresses basic human rights, threatens the sovereignty of free and independent neighbors, steals our nation's nuclear secrets, attempts to buy political influence, builds up its military as the administration downsizes ours, develops the ability to launch a nuclear attack on U.S. soil, and dodges its moral obligation to account for our missing servicemen? Actually, the Clinton administration, a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and a presumptive majority in the Senate would have you believe that such a government, China, is merely a trading partner. However, the men and women of the 2.8-million member American Legion, all of whom have served or are still serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces, know a potential adversary, and a former enemy, when we see one. On one condition - and one condition only - should the U.S. Senate approve Permanent Normalized Trade Relations with China, and House-Senate conferees should concur: The president of the United States must annually certify that China is improving its abysmal human-rights record, cooperating on the accounting of American POW/MIAs, and not engaging in nuclear proliferation. This move would send the message to China that the U.S. favors free trade, but will not suborn the buildup of tyranny's arsenal. Foreign policy begs for a cautious trade policy, not the other way around. China will be worthy of PNTR, in effect will become just another trading partner, when it takes four crucial steps:
Until these criteria are met, China is not a mere trading partner but a global bully. A partner would not suppress dissent or the freedom to worship. A partner would not threaten to invade Taiwan. A partner would not engage in nuclear espionage. A partner would not shop for radar planes from Israel or warships from Russia then attempt to establish a base of operations overlooking the Pentagon. A partner would neither offer nor provide military assistance to Iraq and North Korea. A partner, by most Americans' standards, embraces democratic ideals, then demonstrates a willingness to be a good neighbor in the community of nations, a community becoming increasingly closer knit by economic ties. A partner promises not to supply weapons of mass destruction to rogue nations, or whatever politically correct title the administration now wants to give those nations. China could be a partner. For now, however, it is behaving more like a potential adversary in spite of its growing level of trade with the United States. America must not undermine usual, customary and business-like relations with the government of China over a missionary zeal to sell goods and services to the people of China. The U.S. Senate is poised to relinquish the power of Congress to annually review China's trade status; that's what Permanent Normalized Trade Relations would do. Instead of giving up the only nonmilitary leverage the U.S. has against one of Asia's fastest growing military superpowers, Congress should empower the president to certify China's compliance with democratic values and global standards of responsibility. A president should be willing and eager to accept that responsibility. This issue is bigger than free trade. Ultimately, peace is the landscape of freedom. Rewarding a belligerent enemy of human rights, instead of trying to deal with it in a manner consistent with our underlying national interest, will only undermine peace and freedom. Al Lance is national commander of the 2.8 million-member American Legion, the nation's largest veterans organization. He is also the attorney general of Idaho.      
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