Excerpts: White House on Clinton Discussion with Governors on China
(Clinton urges support for permanent Normal Trade Relations)The White House issued a statement February 28 concerning President Clinton's roundtable discussion with the nation's governors that said Clinton would urge them to support his proposal to grant China permanent Normal Trade Relations (NTR) based on the strong bilateral World Trade Organization (WTO) accession agreement the United States and China signed in November.
The press release said China's accession to the WTO would benefit the United States by opening up export opportunities for Americans while also strengthening guarantees of fair trade, toughening protection against import surges, and eliminating distortive policies that draw jobs and investment from the United States to China.
The press release added that Chinese WTO membership would be in the best interest of U.S. national security because it will help promote economic reform and liberalization in China, advance the rule of law there, anchor China more firmly into the world economies, and strengthen China's stake in future world peace and stability.
According to the White House, the November 1999 accession agreement obligates the United States to "grant China permanent NTR or risk losing the full benefits of the agreement we negotiated, including the bulk of market access rights, special import protections, and rights to enforce China's commitments through WTO dispute settlement."
"Were Congress not to grant permanent NTR," the statement continues, "our Asian, Latin, Canadian and European competitors will reap these benefits and American farmers and businesses may be left behind."
Following is an excerpt from the White House statement:
(begin excerpt)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press SecretaryFebruary 28, 2000
PRESIDENT CLINTON HOSTS THE NATIONAL GOVERNORS' ASSOCIATION
FOR A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION AT THE WHITE HOUSEToday, President Clinton hosts his seventh annual White House meeting with the nation's governors, who are in Washington for the annual Winter Meeting of the National Governors' Association (NGA). The President, Utah Governor Mike Leavitt, Chair of NGA, and Maryland Governor Parris Glendening, Vice-Chair of NGA, will moderate a discussion on four topics that are of particular importance to the Governors and the States....
THE U.S.- CHINA WTO ACCESSION DEAL: A STRONG AGREEMENT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF AMERICA.
The President will urge the governors to support his proposal to grant China permanent Normal Trade Relations (NTR) based on the strong bilateral accession agreement that the United States and China signed in November. The States will benefit enormously from this agreement.
-- One-Way Concessions By China Which Create U.S. Opportunities and Strengthen Fair Trade Guarantees:
China's commitments to enter the WTO will help states by opening up export opportunities for American farmers, working people, manufacturing exporters, services providers and high-tech firms. They will also strengthen our guarantees of fair trade, give us tough protections against import surges, and eliminate forced technology transfers, local content requirements and other distortive policies that draw jobs and investment from the U.S. to China. For the first time, we will be in a position to effectively export American-made products into China, and to distribute directly to Chinese consumers, rather than being forced to move manufacturing operations to China and sell through a Chinese government-sanctioned entity.
-- Permanent NTR is Essential:
As China enters the WTO, the U.S. makes no changes in our current market access policies, export control laws or fair trade laws. We have one obligation: we must grant China permanent NTR or risk losing the full benefits of the agreement we negotiated, including the bulk of market access rights, special import protections, and rights to enforce China's commitments through WTO dispute settlement. Were Congress not to grant permanent NTR, our Asian, Latin, Canadian and European competitors will reap these benefits and American farmers and businesses may be left behind.
-- Fundamental U.S. National Security Interest:
WTO entry will help promote economic reform and liberalization in China, accelerating economic changes in China that are diminishing the authority of the government over people's daily lives. The agreement will advance the rule of law and anchor China more firmly in the Pacific and world economies, strengthening China's stake in future world peace and stability. At the same time, we will continue to pursue our interests through other channels....
(end excerpts)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: usinfo.state.gov)
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