Pete Stark: “Mr. Speaker, China has enjoyed most-favored-nation trading status for many years. I have supported MFN for China for the…”

“Mr. Speaker, China has enjoyed most-favored-nation trading status for many years. I have supported MFN for China for the past 3 years with the hope that the United States and China would both benefit from a cooperative relationship. In fact, the opposite has happened. China has engaged in unfair trade, pirated intellectual property, proliferated nuclear weapons, acted with belligerence toward Taiwan, smuggled arms into the United States, and engaged in human rights violations. Because of China's actions, I will regrettably oppose MFN status. China's trade status with the United States gives us leverage. We must use it to further American interests, interests affecting trade, foreign policy, American exports, and American workers. Mr. Speaker, I am voting against MFN for China because it is time to send a message to the Chinese and to our trade leaders, and I emphasize our own trade leaders, that more of the same from China is not acceptable. If our Government wants support for free trade, then it must insist on fair and equal standards and compliance with our trade laws. When that happens, there will be broader support for MFN.”