On the recordMay 23, 2000
Absolutely. We do not know how much worse things could get in China. Yes, they are pressing bishops and Catholic and Protestant workers in China now, but they have not publicly executed any of them because they are subject to annual review. If they have permanent trade relations with the United States, then 3 or 10 or 20 executions, whether it be of those practicing Christianity or those practicing Buddhism in Tibet, would subject China not to the possibility of losing its trade relationship but only to a harshly written letter from the United States, a report outlining just how terrible these violations were. When we look at China today and see how bad it is, we should not just look at how bad it is or how much better it might get but how much worse it might get.
Source
govinfo.gov
