Steve Rothman: “Mr. Chairman, today we are deciding United States trade policy with the People's Republic of China. Given the fact that…”

“Mr. Chairman, today we are deciding United States trade policy with the People's Republic of China. Given the fact that China is a communist nation and that it regularly violates the human rights of its own citizens, the United States Congress, rightfully, every year decides whether to treat China that year with restrictive or normal trade relations. This year Congress is being asked to give up this annual review. And the question is, should we do so? While I believe in free trade because it can be in America's national security and economic interest, and while China's leaders have made some progress from their days as an inward-looking regime, China has broken every one of the six trade agreements it has signed with the United States since 1992. It is clear to me that not enough progress has been made or even attempted in the important areas of human and worker rights and in protecting the environment in China. I hope the time will come when the great nation of China will earn the right to permanent normal trade relations with the great Nation of the United States. They have not done so yet. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on PNTR for China.”