Nancy Pelosi: “I will start by saying that we all agree that the United States-China relationship is an important one, and that we want…”

“I will start by saying that we all agree that the United States-China relationship is an important one, and that we want a brilliant future with the Chinese people, diplomatically, culturally, economically, politically, and in every way. However, the administration's policy of so-called constructive engagement is neither constructive nor true engagement. President Clinton has said promoting Democratic freedom, stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and promoting U.S. exports are pillars of our foreign policy. In each of these important areas, the administration's policy of so-called constructive engagement has not succeeded. In fact, there has been a marked deterioration, not improvement, under the administration's policy. Certainly, we must have engagement. But I contend that our engagement must be sustainable engagement, engagement that enables us to sustain our values, sustain our economic growth, and sustain international security. I want to debunk three myths about MFN and trade and human rights. The first myth is that United States-China trade is a job-winner for the United States. This is an out-and-out hoax.”