DATE=3/8/2000
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=CLINTON-CHINA-WTO
NUMBER=5-45600
BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST
DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: President Clinton has formally sent Congress
legislation that would give China permanent normal
trade status with the United States. The move is a
prerequisite to Chinese membership in the World Trade
Organization. And it sets the stage for a bruising
election-year political fight that has already badly
split the President's Democratic party. V-O-A's David
Gollust reports from the White House.
TEXT: The issue of permanent normal trade relations
with China - or P-N-T-R - has created an unusual set
of allies in Washington. The legislation is being
championed by the Clinton administration and the
Republican leadership in Congress, while a large
segment of the president's Democratic party strongly
opposes it -- backed by traditional friends of Mr.
Clinton in the labor and environmental movements.
The opponents argue that with China's human rights
performance at a low ebb and Beijing renewing threats
of military force against Taiwan, it is no time to be
giving China trading favors.
But at a Washington address Wednesday marking the
kick-off of the legislative fight, Mr. Clinton
insisted the United States stands to gain the most
from lower tariffs in a trade relationship that has
until now been lopsided in China's favor.
Rejecting the deal, Mr. Clinton said, would not only
cost the United States the chance to reverse the trade
imbalance, but would mean less American influence with
China on issues such as Taiwan, human rights, and
labor standards:
/// CLINTON ACTUALITY ///
Voting against P-N-T-R won't free a single
prisoner or create a single job in America, or
reassure a single American ally in Asia. It will
simply empower the most rigid anti-democratic
elements in the Chinese government. It would
leave the Chinese people with less contact with
the democratic world, and more resistance from
their government to outside forces. Our friends
and allies would wonder why after 30 years of
pushing China in the right direction, we turned
our backs now that they finally appear to be
willing to take us up on it.
/// END ACT ///
Republican leaders -- including those prominent little
more than a year ago in the effort to impeach Mr.
Clinton - have become his most vocal supporters on
China trade. After a White House strategy session
Tuesday night, Senate Majority leader Trent Lott
promised speedy Senate consideration of the measure,
and said the more access China has to American goods
and services -- especially Internet technology -- the
more open its society is likely to become:
/// LOTT ACTUALITY ///
People say what about human rights violations?
What about their closed society? I say this is
the way to open it up .If you open up
telecommunications in China -- and the president
made some points about the (growing) number of
Chinese that are getting on the Internet -- it's
going to grow just dramatically in the next few
years. If we can sell more of our American
agricultural products, and they have a better
standard of living, that'll be good for America
and it will be good for China. It will change
them irreversibly.
/// END ACT ///
But some leading Democrats reject the notion a freer
society in China will necessarily flow from freer
trade, and say Beijing would have less incentive to
improve human rights, labor, and environmental
standards if the United States were no longer
reviewing its trade benefits year-by-year. Democratic
Senator Paul Wellstone says supporters of the trade
deal are putting profits ahead of all other
considerations:
/// WELLSTONE ACTUALITY ///
Unless you have trade agreements that have some
respect for human rights and the right for
people to organize, to bargain collectively,
some respect for environmental standards, I'm
opposed to those agreements. And I think its is
a huge mistake. I think it's gotten to the point
where the focus on the almighty dollar, you
know, and investment, has trumped (overshadowed)
all other concerns. I think the administration's
record on human rights is a very weak record.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
Pro-agreement forces are thought to have a comfortable
advantage in the Senate. But the fate of the accord is
unclear in the House where Republicans have just a
six-seat majority and most Democrats are already on
record opposing it. The administration is pressing for
quick action, fearing that prospects for approval will
diminish with the approach of the November elections.
(Signed)
NEB/DAG/TVM/gm
08-Mar-2000 18:15 PM EDT (08-Mar-2000 2315 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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