26 May 2000
Text: Senators Thompson and Torricelli Introduce China Bill
(Aims to curb China's role in weapons proliferation) (700) One day after the historic vote in the House of Representatives to grant China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status, two senators announced that they would seek to have either parallel legislation or an amendment to the China trade bill aimed at curbing that nation's role in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Senators Fred Thompson (Republican of Tennessee) and Robert Torricelli (Democrat of New Jersey) presented their proposed bill, "The China Nonproliferation Act," at a press conference May 25. The legislation would provide "an annual review mechanism and escalating scale of responses to future Chinese proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, missile technologies and advanced conventional weapons -- without violating the United States' World Trade Organization obligations," according to a press statement from the office of Senator Fred Thompson. The bill will be offered as parallel legislation, or an amendment, to the bill granting China PNTR status, he said. "Our relationship with China over the next decade is one of the most important policy issues facing this nation," Thompson said, "as we consider this trade issue, we cannot be oblivious to matters concerning our own national security," Senator Thompson said. Following is the text: (begin text) SENATORS THOMPSON AND TORRICELLI INTRODUCE CHINA NONPROLIFERATION ACT Bill Aims to Combat Weapons Proliferation by China WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Fred Thompson (R-TN) and Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) today introduced "The China Nonproliferation Act," legislation to provide an annual review mechanism and escalating scale of responses to future Chinese proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, missile technologies and advanced conventional weapons -- without violating the United States' WTO obligations. The bill will be offered as parallel legislation, or an amendment, to the bill granting the People's Republic of China (PRC) permanent normal trade relations (PNTR). "Our relationship with China over the next decade is one of the most important policy issues facing this nation. Clearly trade is an important part of that relationship, but it is not all of it. As we consider this trade issue, we cannot be oblivious to matters concerning our own national security," Senator Thompson said. "If China is going to be one of our trading partners, it's not too much to require them to stop providing weapons of mass destruction to countries who might someday use them against us." "If China wants to be a responsible member of the international community it can't engage in the illicit distribution of advanced weapons or technologies that can be used for destructive or threatening purposes," said Senator Torricelli, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the author of the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act. "This plan can be especially effective because it reaches beyond the rogue nations to cut-off the arms supply at the source. This is the international security equivalent of drug laws that go after pushers." Under the "China Nonproliferation Act," if any person, company or group in China violates international nonproliferation treaties or agreements, or U.S. export control laws, in ways that contribute to proliferation, the President will be required to impose penalties both on the proliferator and on the PRC. The proliferator will face an immediate variety of penalties, including the suspension of all U.S. exports (defense and "dual-use" items) controlled by the Commerce and State Departments. The President will also be required to choose a non-trade penalty to impose on the PRC from a list of escalating penalties, with these measures increasing in both degree and number over time if the proliferation is not stopped. The President can exercise a waiver if he feels that the imposition of penalties will be detrimental to our national security. But if this is done to avoid imposing mandatory penalties, Congress will have an expedited review process common in other laws that allows Members to introduce legislation calling on the President to impose a penalty. Other co-sponsors of the bill include Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike DeWine (R-OH), James Inhofe (R-OK), Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Arlen Specter (R-PA). (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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