Cord Byrd: “This amendment requires the U.S. Trade Representative, acting through the Working Party on the Accession of China to the…”

“This amendment requires the U.S. Trade Representative, acting through the Working Party on the Accession of China to the World Trade Organization, to obtain a commitment from China to disclose information about state-owned enterprises that export products and government assistance given to those state-owned enterprises. My amendment also requests a timetable for China's compliance with WTO subsidy obligations. Even the staunchest supporters of permanent normal trade relations with China recognize that U.S. trade with China will continue to be an uphill battle insofar as fairness is concerned. The administration acknowledges this fact, and my good friend Senator Roth stated the same only yesterday. There are profound implications to Sino-American relations as a result of granting PNTR to China. State-owned enterprises continue to be the most significant source of employment in most areas in China, and some reports suggest that these subsidized enterprises account for as much as 65 percent of the jobs in many areas of China. Government control reigns supreme in China. My amendment sends a message that the U.S. Senate seeks transparency in China's likely accession to the World Trade Organization, WTO.”