Cliff Stearns: “I rise to talk about a very controversial and highly important historical event. I am speaking about the visit of…”

“I rise to talk about a very controversial and highly important historical event. I am speaking about the visit of China's President Jiang Zemin to our Nation. President Jiang's visit will be the first visit for a Chinese leader since Deng Xiaoping was received by President Carter in 1979. The relationship between China and the United States will be the world's most important and most interesting in the dawn of the unfolding millennium. This visit will help set the table of whether this relationship will be based on distrust and animosity that will give rise to a new global confrontation between two giant superpowers or if this relationship will be based upon a working relationship of understanding and mutual respect between two partners. I would like to see the latter relationship develop, but I believe its development will be based upon China's willingness to be a global leader that applies the standards of democracy and true free markets to their own Nation. The term 'comprehensive engagement' is being used to detail the talks this week. I believe most of us in Congress and most of our Nation desires a peaceful relationship with China and to be engaged comprehensively. But the administration has to prioritize the issues of contention between our nations in order to make President Jiang's visit an achievement.”