Tom Lantos: “granting China Permanent Normal Trade Relations status is unwise, unprincipled, and counterproductive. American…”

“granting China Permanent Normal Trade Relations status is unwise, unprincipled, and counterproductive. American multi-national corporations are realistic enough to understand that most of them will never sell anything in China. They will create production platforms taking advantage of cheap labor and non-existent health, safety, and environmental regulations to replace American men and women who work for a living wage in the United States. In our economic relations with China, it is we who have the leverage, not the Chinese. They have a $70 billion trade surplus with the United States--and this surplus is vital for their military armament plans and their economic progress. We have all the cards but pretend to be impotent. Mr. Speaker, fig leaves have a noble function in Greek sculpture-- they conceal valuable and at times indispensable parts. The ``Commission'' proposed in this legislation gives a bad name to fig leaves. We have governmental and private studies overflowing our desks, all proving the outrageous human rights abuses, violations of religious freedom, and the denial of political discourse that permeate China. No one in his or her right mind believes for a moment that yet another commission will have any impact on the dictatorial regime in Beijing. China's victory in this struggle today, however, will be carefully studied and imitated by the new KGB-trained President of Russia.”