Gary Condit: “I rise today to cast my vote against renewing normal trade relations with the People's Republic of China. In doing so…”

“I rise today to cast my vote against renewing normal trade relations with the People's Republic of China. In doing so, it is time to send a strong signal to Beijing along a number of fronts. First, it is time to send a strong message that the hoped-for policy of trade engagement with China leading to greater democracy and responsibility from the Chinese government hasn't produced the results which merit renewal. Our trading practices with China are reason enough not to renew normal trade relations. Because China continues to engage in predatory trade practices, we now have a $50 billion trade deficit. China continues to refuse to enforce laws against piracy of intellectual property and patents, continues to ship products made with prison labor, evades U.S. restrictions on Chinese textile exports by trans-shipping pieces through Hong Kong and effectively prohibits thousands of foreign products which run counter to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Clearly, countless extensions of this trading privilege, formerly known as Most Favored Nation trading status, have not produced favorable conditions for the U.S. Also very clearly, this is a privilege the Chinese need more than we do. Secondly, there are serious questions about the Chinese and their military spending which has been fueled and financed by billions of dollars the Chinese make through managed trade with us.”