Richard Gephardt: “I rise in opposition to the annual request for Normal Trade Relations (NTR) status for China and support H.J. Res. 50 to…”

“I rise in opposition to the annual request for Normal Trade Relations (NTR) status for China and support H.J. Res. 50 to reject this request. While I hope and believe we should continue to seek engagement with China and other nations around the world, I also think it's clear that on the key issues of trade, human rights and rule of law, the behavior of the Chinese regime has deteriorated in the past year. The Chinese leadership fails to respect or support the aspirations of its own people. Unfortunately, when it comes to trade and other relations, China is not yet a responsible partner in the international arena. Most worrisome is the ongoing record of human rights abuses detailed in the State Department's 'Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2000.' The report states: 'China's poor human rights record worsened during the year, as the authorities intensified their harsh measures against underground Christian groups and Tibetan Buddhists, destroyed many houses of worship, and stepped up their campaign against the Falun Gong movement. China also sharply suppressed organized dissent.'”