• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

09 May 2000

Text: Rep. Pelosi May 4 on Administration PNTR Monitoring Plan

(Pelosi says Chinese will not keep their word on trade) (580)
The Chinese have not and will not keep their word regarding trade, a
long-time critic of China's human rights abuses said in arguing
against granting China permanent Normal Trade Relations (NTR) status.
"We already know that China has not and will not comply with their
agreements. The Chinese government has broken agreements on opening
its markets," Representative Nancy Pelosi (Democrat of California)
said in a May 4 statement.
The Clinton Administration's plan to set up a "rapid response team" to
monitor China's compliance with the U.S.-China trade agreement
negotiated last November undermines the argument that getting China
into the rules-based World Trade Organization will make that nation
into one that abides by the rules, Pelosi said.
Following is the text of Pelosi's statement:
(begin text)
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
STATEMENT BY CONGRESSWOMAN NANCY PELOSI
REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATION'S PNTR PLAN
FOR MONITORING BEIJING'S COMPLIANCE TO TRADE AGREEMENTS
May 4, 2000
"The Administration's plan to set up a new rapid response team to
monitor China's compliance with its market commitments under WTO
reinforces the argument we've been making all along that China won't
comply with the new agreement. The Administration's new compliance
program only underscores what opponents of PNTR have known all along:
This agreement is giving China a blank check while China is giving the
U.S. a rubber check.
By creating a monitoring group the Administration is undermining its
own argument that, by joining the WTO, China will begin to comply with
the rules. We already know that China has not and will not comply with
their agreements. The Chinese government has broken agreements on
opening its markets to the U.S.; on stopping the piracy of our
intellectual property; and on ending the export of slave-produced
goods.
Moreover, there is reason to be concerned that Beijing is already
backing away from the most recent 1999 U.S.-China bilateral agreement
in a number of areas, including wheat, insurance, meat, petroleum and
telecommunications. The following comparisons are particularly
worrisome.
On wheat, the official Administration summary of the WTO agreement
says: "China will import all types of U.S. wheat from all regions of
the U.S. to all ports in China..." But China's chief WTO negotiator
says: "It is a complete misunderstanding to expect this grain to enter
the country...Beijing only conceded a theoretical opportunity for the
export of grain."
On meat, the Administration's summary states: "China will lift the ban
on U.S. exports of all meat and poultry. But China's chief WTO
negotiator says: "Diplomatic negotiations involve findings new
expressions. If you find a new expression, this means you have
achieved a diplomatic result. In terms of meat imports, we have not
actually made any materials concessions."
As concerned as many in Congress are over China's human rights abuses,
its brutal occupation of Tibet and its proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction, there is enough reason to oppose permanent normal
trade relations at this time on the basis of trade alone.
It is incumbent upon us, in the public and private sectors, to work
for free and open trade with China that is real. The U.S.-China
bilateral WTO agreement, however, remains seriously deficient in
implementation, compliance and enforcement."
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)