Max Baucus: “I rise to support the amendment of the Senator from Maine. The President, with wide support in Congress, signed an…”

“I rise to support the amendment of the Senator from Maine. The President, with wide support in Congress, signed an Executive order last spring which will govern his decision on renewing China's most-favored-nation tariff status next June. It cited seven conditions: Freedom of emigration; living up to the Memorandum of Understanding on Prison Labor Products; moving toward meeting the obligations of the International Declaration on Human Rights; release and accounting for political prisoners; ensuring humane prison conditions, for example through allowing the International Committee on the Red Cross to inspect jails; protecting the religious and cultural heritage of Tibet; and ending the jamming of foreign radio broadcasts. Last spring, like many other Members of the Senate, I endorsed this Executive order. We are operating under it today, and are working very hard to get China to meet its seven conditions. I personally visited Beijing, Chengdu, Lhasa, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen last summer in large part to urge China to meet them. By substituting a much longer list of conditions including trade barriers and weapons proliferation, this amendment seeks to undo the President's policy and move the goalposts back many yards. That would be a serious mistake. If China believes we intend to change policy in midcourse, and find an excuse to revoke MFN regardless of their actions, they will not take the necessary steps on human rights.”