Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, the people of China are light years better off today than they were 15 or 20 years ago. There is a whole world of difference between the way the Chinese people were treated by their own Government back then and the way they are treated today. They are coming out in the open. They are gravitating toward Western styles, and maybe they will not even want to hear that, but to democracy. They are not open, they are not perfect. Everything that everybody has said on the floor today is right about the atrocities committed by the Chinese Government. But they are moving in the right direction, and most-favored-nation status is important to preserve normal trading relations with China. If we cut them off, isolate them, are we going to enhance the plight of the Chinese people, or all the people they control? Not according to Martin Lee, who is the leader of democracy in Hong Kong; not according to Chris Patten, the former Governor of Hong Kong, who is on his way out; not according to the Dalai Lama from Tibet. These three leaders and proponents for democracy say that cutting off MFN for China is going to increase the probability that people will be oppressed by the Chinese Government. If MFN is not extended, Hong Kong will stand to lose $20-30 billion in trade and 60,000-85,000 jobs. Moreover, their economy will be cut by over 50 percent and incomes will be reduced by $4 billion.”