John Sarbanes: “I rise to note the release on July 15, 2002 of the first annual report of the U.S.-China Security Review Commission.…”

“I rise to note the release on July 15, 2002 of the first annual report of the U.S.-China Security Review Commission. Shortly after the enactment in the year 2000 of legislation giving China Permanent Normal Trade Relations, PNTR, the Congress, thanks to the leadership of Senator Robert C. Byrd, passed legislation creating the U.S.-China Security Review Commission. According to the law that established the Commission, its purpose is to ``monitor, investigate and report to the Congress on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the United Stats and the People's Republic of China''. The legislation which created the Commission charges it to submit an annual report to the Congress with recommendations for action, if any. The bi-partisan Commission is composed of twelve commissioners, three of whom were appointed by each of the Congressional leaders in both the House and Senate. To prepare itself to issue its first Report the Commission held nine open hearings and took testimony from 115 witnesses on 35 separate panels. It also contracted for new research on China from a variety of sources including extensive translation and analysis of articles on economic, political, and trade issues that are appearing in influential Chinese publications. Members of the Commission also traveled to China, Taiwan, Japan, and the headquarters of the World Trade Organization, WTO, in Geneva.”