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14 April 2000

Text: Another Democrat Opposes China Normal Trade Relations

(Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio says back Taiwan not Beijing) (1010)
The United States should be supporting democratic Taiwan, and not the
communists who rule in Beijing, says the senior-most woman Democrat in
Congress.
Representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio compared Taiwan with the Cold
War's embattled West Berlin in an April 13 speech that decried
"special trade privileges for Communist China."
Echoing President Kennedy when he said of those who didn't know the
difference between "the free world and the Communist world," to let
them "'come to Berlin.'"
The Ohio Democrat added, "for freedom lovers, they should say, let
them come to Taiwan."
All free men and women, she stressed, "wherever they may live, are
citizens of Taiwan. And, therefore, as a free citizen, I take pride in
opposing any special trade privileges for Communist China."
Following is the text of Congresswoman Kaptur's speech from the
Congressional Record:
(begin text)
AMERICA'S LOT SHOULD BE CAST WITH TAIWAN
House of Representatives
April 13, 2000
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, not so many years ago, an inspiring U.S.
President, John F. Kennedy, gave heart not only to our people but to
those living under the sickle and boot of Communism in eastern and
central Europe. In a moment that history will remember always, he
stood in West Berlin, an island of democracy in a sea of
totalitarianism. He championed for the world the cause of freedom with
the proud boast, `Ich bin ein Berliner.' I am a Berliner.
Today, as this Congress stands on the verge of voting on permanent
trade privileges to Communist China, it is incumbent upon us to remind
ourselves of Taiwan, the only outpost for democracy in the Pacific
Rim. Does mainland China, a Communist nation, whose human rights
record is deteriorating, really deserve a blank check from this
Congress of the United States? There is not one iota of indication
that that totalitarian regime has any respect for liberty's cause.
President Kennedy, on June 25, 1963, at the City Hall in West Berlin
said, `I am proud to come to this city as the guest of your
distinguished Mayor, who has symbolized throughout the world the
fighting spirit of West Berlin, and your distinguished Chancellor. Two
thousand years ago, the proudest boast was `civis Romanus sum.' I am a
Roman. Today the proudest boast is, `Ich bin ein Berliner.'
`There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or
say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the
Communist world? Let them come to Berlin.'
And I might say today, for freedom lovers, they should say, let them
come to Taiwan.
`There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future.' He
said, `Let them come to Berlin.' `There are some who say in Europe and
elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin.
And there are even a few who say that it's true that communism is an
evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Let them
come to Berlin.
`Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we
have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them
from leaving us.' He said, `I know of no town, no city that has been
besieged for 18 years that still lives with the vitality and the force
and hope and the determination of the City of West Berlin.' And I
would say today that that is true of Taiwan.
`While the wall was the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the
failures of the Communist system for all the world to see, we took no
satisfaction in it. What is true of that city,' he said, `is true of
Germany. Real and lasting peace in Europe can never be assured as long
as one German out of four is denied the elementary right of free men,
and that is to make a free choice.
`In 18 years of peace and good faith, this generation of Germans has
earned the right to be free.' He said, `You live in a defended island
of freedom, but your life is a part of the main. So let me ask you,'
he said, `as I close, to lift your eyes beyond the dangers of today to
the hopes of tomorrow, beyond the freedom merely of this City of
Berlin, or your country of Germany, to the advance of freedom
everywhere, beyond the wall to the day of peace with justice, beyond
yourselves and ourselves to all mankind.
`Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not
free. When all are free, then we can look forward to the day when this
city will be joined as one, and this country, and this great continent
of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe. When that day finally
comes, as it will, the people of West Berlin can take sober
satisfaction in the fact that they were in the front line for almost
two decades. All free men, wherever they may live,' he said, `are
citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the
words `Ich bin ein Berliner.'
Today, as we embark upon a debate on China, America should aspire to
no less an ideal than our forebears who carried the torch of liberty
with no fear of the cost. America's lot should be cast with Taiwan as
the democratic hope of the Pacific Rim. All free men and women,
wherever they may live, are citizens of Taiwan. And, therefore, as a
free citizen, I take pride in opposing any special trade privileges
for Communist China. There is no other choice for freedom lovers.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State -- usinfo.state.gov)