Max Baucus: “the Senator from Arkansas raises obviously a very important question, and that is, essentially, the terms under which…”

“the Senator from Arkansas raises obviously a very important question, and that is, essentially, the terms under which the United States should agree to help encourage China to be a member or accede to the WTO. It is obviously important because China, particularly in the next century, is going to be a very important country. It is now the largest country in the world, the most populous, the largest standing army, a nuclear power, one of the fastest growing ``developing countries,'' thousands of years of history, a very proud people. We in the United States clearly must be very careful and clear headed in our relationship with such a country, particularly when the question arises as to the terms under which China would accede to the WTO. It is also true that under the Constitution, the U.S. Congress provides that the Congress essentially set trade policy. That is true. But the use of power is a very important matter. Sometimes it is important to use power that is entrusted to one. Sometimes it is important to forebear the use of power that is entrusted to one. Certainly, Congress has the authority to pass the amendment suggested by the Senator from Arkansas. But that is not the question. The real question is, Should Congress adopt that amendment?”