11 May 2000
Text: Bereuter, Levin Offer "Legislative Framework" for China PNTR
(Commission on China modeled after Helsinki Commission) (860) Two centrist lawmakers -- one Democrat, the other Republican -- put forth a framework May 9 for parallel legislation to accompany the legislation that would grant China permanent Normal Trade Relations (NTR) status. Douglas Bereuter (Republican of Nebraska), chairman of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, and Sander Levin (Democrat of Michigan), Ranking Member on the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, presented their "legislative framework" as a bipartisan effort to meet the concerns of lawmakers over ending the annual review of China's trade status with the United States. "This draft companion framework," Bereuter said, "is offered to address Congressional concerns about Chinese compliance with their WTO promises, human rights practices in China, and Taiwan's entry into the WTO." The legislative framework envisages a 23-member Congressional-Executive Commission on China with 5 members chosen by the President and nine members from each congressional chamber. The commission would submit annual reports to Congress and the President on its findings, including recommendations for action. "China will enter the World Trade Organization (WTO) with or without support from the United States," Levin said in the statement accompanying the draft legislative framework. "The challenge is to establish in conjunction with PNTR concrete mechanisms so that we receive the full benefits of the agreement negotiated with China while enacting safeguards against any potential downsides," he continued. Following is the text of a press release from Bereuter's office: (begin text) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 9, 2000 Levin and Bereuter Offer Bi-partisan Legislative Framework for China PNTR (Washington, DC) -- Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) and Rep. Doug Bereuter (R-NE) joined together today in offering a draft framework for parallel legislation to complement the extension of PNTR to China. The bi-partisan proposal addresses the ideas circulated earlier by Mr. Levin with work by Mr. Bereuter to develop a focus on encouraging the rule of law in China and incorporate earlier legislation offered by Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R-WA) and Bereuter to urge concurrent membership of Taiwan in the WTO. "China will enter the World Trade Organization (WTO) with or without support from the United States. The challenge is to establish in conjunction with PNTR concrete mechanisms so that we receive the full benefits of the agreement negotiated with China while enacting safeguards against any potential downsides," said Rep. Levin. "The challenge is to both engage with China and confront it, keeping the pressure on China to improve in the key areas of human and worker rights while receiving the benefits of the agreement." "While approval of PNTR is overwhelmingly in the U.S. national interest, this draft companion framework is offered to address Congressional concerns about Chinese compliance with their WTO promises, human rights practices in China, and Taiwan's entry into the WTO. This is a framework for discussion and there are likely to be changes as we get feedback from our colleagues; I welcome additional constructive ideas," said Rep. Bereuter. The key elements of the draft proposal address the challenges presented by China's entry into the WTO more effectively than the status quo. They include: -- Congressional-Executive Commission on China, modeled after the Helsinki Commission, to place an ongoing and focused spotlight on China. The Commission will consist of 9 Members of each House, plus five Presidential appointees, and it will submit to Congress and the President annual report of its findings, including as appropriate WTO-consistent recommendations for action. -- Legislation putting into U.S. law the China specific anti-surge safeguard to guard American businesses and workers from import surges from China. -- Ongoing oversight of China's compliance with WTO obligations. This would be achieved through an annual review within the WTO which the USTR is instructed to negotiate in the final deliberations in Geneva, a detailed annual report by the USTR to Congress, and resources committed to strengthen U.S. monitoring capabilities. -- Technical assistance to develop the rule of law in commercial and labor markets in China. -- The proposal also provides for an interagency task force to monitor and promote effective enforcement of the prohibition of the importation of products of forced or prison labor and a sense of the Congress expression that the WTO General Council should approve both the PRC's accession and Taiwan's accession at the same General Council session. A full narrative of the draft legislation is attached. "These proposals constitute a hard-headed and commonsense approach to bringing China into the world trading system," concluded Rep. Levin. "We must actively shape globalization and not rely only on more open markets to bring about positive developments in China." (Rep. Doug Bereuter is the Chairman of the Asia and Pacific Subcommittee of the International Relations Committee. Rep. Sander Levin is the Ranking Democrat on the Trade Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee.) For further information, please contact Hilarie Chambers (Levin) at 225-4961 or Dan Maffei (Ways and Means) at 225-3526 or Carol Lawrence (Bereuter) at 225-4806. (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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