John Hostettler: “Mr. Speaker, I rise to wholeheartedly support this common-sense resolution. The U.S. and European Union, as we have…”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to wholeheartedly support this common-sense resolution. The U.S. and European Union, as we have heard, established arms embargoes against the People's Republic of China following the June, 1989, Tiananmen Square Massacre. The U.S embargo continues today in light of the widespread human rights abuses that continue under the Communist regime. But the European Union, in a move that can only be described as reckless, is moving to lift its ban on weapons sales. EU states are even today selling China so-called nonlethal technologies that enhance its offensive capabilities. Advanced radar systems sold to China, for example, allow its military to better target U.S. warships and aircraft. For this reason, I introduced in the defense authorization bill last year a provision to prohibit the Defense Department from buying weapons from foreign companies that sell weapons to the People's Republic of China. My measure, which passed the House, also would have made it U.S. policy to deny China defense technology that could threaten the U.S. or destabilize the Western Pacific region. Unfortunately, this provision was dropped in conference as a result of Senate objections.”