Melvin Watt: “the last time this issue came before Congress I voted to extend MFN trading status to China. I felt that engagement was…”

“the last time this issue came before Congress I voted to extend MFN trading status to China. I felt that engagement was our best hope for getting China to act more responsibly on issues of human rights, international affairs, and international trade. Since that vote, however, China has shown no progress on any of these issues. On human rights the State Department's 1996 report confirms that China continues to commit widespread human rights abuses, and in 1996 China actually stepped up efforts to cut off protest and criticism. On international affairs, China is transferring dangerous weapons and technology to Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Pakistan, and Burma. On international trade, Chinese tariffs on our exports average 35 percent, while our tariffs on Chinese imports average 2 percent, and our 1996 trade deficit with China was $40 billion. In the face of this, Mr. Speaker, I simply cannot be in support of extending MFN status, and I urge a vote in support of that proposition.”