Peter Deutsch: “I take second to no one in this Chamber in my concern for human rights and the feeling that many of the abuses in China…”

“I take second to no one in this Chamber in my concern for human rights and the feeling that many of the abuses in China are as abysmal, as threatening to the human condition as events happening anywhere in the world at any time. I also will take second to no one in my concern about what the Chinese are doing to the island of Taiwan in terms of their missile launches over the straits of China prior to the election, a clear violation of international law. I was supportive, along with most Members of this body, in terms of trying to prevent that activity. Even with those statements, we as this Congress have a choice of how to try to change those policies. It really is a choice of one or two things. We have a choice of engagement, of normal trading relations. As has been pointed out on this floor, trading relations, that we trade with rogue nations, nations whose human rights conditions are on par with China, whether it is Syria or Burma or Indonesia. We can find abuses in many locations around the world that we, in fact, grant what is inappropriately described as most-favored-nation status. We have that choice before us today, whether we want to engage China or whether we want to isolate China. Unfortunately, I think history tells us that by isolation the results of the change in human rights and other things will not occur. I urge the defeat of the resolution.”