Cliff Stearns: “in 1980, China was first granted MFN status. Since then, very little has changed. In fact, it would be easy to argue…”

“in 1980, China was first granted MFN status. Since then, very little has changed. In fact, it would be easy to argue that the situation has worsened. In the last 5 years, China has accumulated a $117 billion trade surplus with the United States, most of which is being used by the Chinese Government to build a war machine--a United States financed and outfitted Communist army. Also troubling is the continued theft of American intellectual property rights. Even the Clinton administration has called the Chinese ``the most egregious violator of agreements intended to combat the piracy of American products. Our apathy and appeasement have actually worsened our position as a trade partner and as a steward of democracy in one of the world's most volatile regions. The House will soon vote to end China's privilege. We will soon have the opportunity to send a message to the world that America will not support a rogue nation. We cannot continue to ignore the truth' we must be proactive in changing China's policies.”