Doris Matsui: “Mr. Speaker, in January 1979, I was fortunate to be a part of the United States congressional delegation that…”

“Mr. Speaker, in January 1979, I was fortunate to be a part of the United States congressional delegation that represented the United States at the ceremonies reestablishing relations between the United States and China. That was the first time I was in China. We met extensively with Deng Xiaoping; we viewed China. It was a drab, terrible place. But it was good that we reestablished relations. This year, 18 years later, January 1997, I had occasion to go to China again, met with President Jiang Zemin and saw China 1997. Mr. Speaker, I doubt that any country in the history of the world has advanced as much in an 18-year period as China has. I doubt that the human rights condition of a people has advanced in any country in the world as much in 18 years as China has. That would not have happened had we not reestablished relations. That would not have happened had we not established normal trading relations with China. So if Members want to pursue the cause of human rights in China, continue normal relations with China, do not make the single largest foreign policy mistake in the history of the United States.”