Chris Smith: “the judgment call on conferring MFN on China for another year hinges on significant progress in human rights. It is…”

“the judgment call on conferring MFN on China for another year hinges on significant progress in human rights. It is becoming increasingly clear that in category after category the Chinese Government is not only not making progress, but is actually getting worse--bringing further shame and dishonor to the Government. An accurate portrayal of religious freedom and human rights protections in population control in China today would be significant regression. Effective this past Sunday, for example, are two new Draconian decrees cracking down on religious expression in China. Order No. 145, for example, bans underground house churches which number in the several thousand. The right to assemble, pray, and worship God--even in your own home--carries severe punishments. The big crackdown has begun. Moreover, foreigners are strictly prohibited from making contact with believers and catchall policy statements such as ``No one may use places of worship for activities to destroy national unity, ethnic unity and social stability, to damage public health or undermine the national education system,'' criminalize just about anything that a believer says or does. These cruel policies are likely to lead to thousands of new arrests, tortures, and mistreatment. Mr. Speaker, in like manner, the Chinese Government continues to aggressively victimize women who bear children outside of the Government's repressive one child per couple policy.”