Katie Porter: “as we enter into debate today on normalizing trade with China, there are certain realities which must be acknowledged.…”

“as we enter into debate today on normalizing trade with China, there are certain realities which must be acknowledged. Reality one, the human rights abuses in Chinese today are abominable. China continues to deny its citizens the most basic of human rights: freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of worship. Reality two, China will enter into the World Trade Organization whether Congress passes PNTR or not. Reality three, isolating China from the United States and the rest of world, will not improve human rights for the Chinese. I would like to thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) for including an essential human rights provision in the Levin-Bereuter package--increasing authorization funding for international broadcasting operations in China and neighboring countries. A fundamental prerequisite to political and economic freedom is an informed citizenry. One of the best and most cost-effective ways to help enhance the respect for human rights abroad is to disseminate reliable information that serves to foster the spirit of democracy in closed societies. Arming citizens with reliable, accurate information will eventually enable them the power to create change. By doing so, not only is the U.S. interest served by helping to spread democracy, but democratic activists are also empowered to challenge the status quo.”