Transcript: Rep. Gilman Says China Continues Nuclear Proliferation
(Gilman supported bid to deny President's waiver request)While the issue was trade with China, specifically a resolution that would have denied President Clinton the authority to waive parts of the Trade Act of 1974 as applied to China, Representative Benjamin Gilman (Republican of New York) took the Beijing regime to task in a July 18 speech in the House of Representatives for its role in nuclear weapons proliferation.
Gilman, chairman of the House Committee on International Relations, noted that since the House of Representatives approved H.R. 4444, a bill that would grant that nation Permanent Normal Trade Relations status, "additional evidence has emerged that China continues to play a key role in supplying sensitive nuclear missile and chemical weapons technology to a number of states of concern around the world."
Experts in non-proliferation, he said, "believe that China has provided critical assistance to the Pakistani nuclear weapons program."
The Republican lawmaker said concerns about "irresponsible Chinese policies regarding the export of dangerous weapons of mass destruction" are greater today than when the House first took up the issue of granting China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status.
Gilman urged support of House Joint Resolution 103, which would have denied the President the authority to waive part of the Trade Act of 1974 with regard to China. The resolution was defeated 147 to 281 in the House of Representatives on July 18.
Following is a transcript of Representative Gilman's speech from the Congressional Record:
(begin transcript) Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of the legislation by the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) that is before us today disapproving the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment to the People's Republic of China.
On May 24, when the House considered a measure providing permanent normal trade relations to China, I cited then a number of significant concerns in our relations with China regarding the enforcement of trade agreements, the documentation of human rights abuses, and the continued evidence of China's nuclear proliferation.
Over the past several months, additional evidence has emerged that China continues to play a key role in supplying sensitive nuclear missile and chemical weapons technology to a number of states of concern around the world. In particular, nonproliferation experts in and out of our government believe that China has provided critical assistance to the Pakistani nuclear weapons program.
To meet this growing threat to international peace and stability in Asia and around the world, I joined with the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), my friend and colleague, in introducing on July 13 the China Nonproliferation Act, a companion measure to S. 2645 introduced by Senators Thompson and Torricelli.
In short, our concerns about irresponsible Chinese policies regarding the export of dangerous weapons of mass destruction are of even greater concern today than they were several months ago during the debate on granting PNTR status for China. Approving this resolution, Mr. Speaker, of disapproval would send the right signal to Beijing that business as usual in Chinese weapons and technology exports is undermining our friends and allies throughout Asia and the Middle East.
China's continuing military buildup has only emboldened that nation to claim islands and territories belonging to the Philippines and its other neighbors in the region. Its illegal occupation of Tibet and its brutal repression of the Tibetan people continues unabated.
Under the current annual review arrangement, we in the Congress are able to fully examine and to debate the current human rights situation in China and its observance of religious freedoms. I ask my colleagues that if China is allowed to trample on the basic freedoms of its own citizens, how can we tell other nations in Asia and in Africa and elsewhere that they must not violate those freedoms?
I would also note that a recent report of our U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was unanimous in its conclusions that China needs to take concrete steps to release all persons imprisoned for their religious beliefs and to take concrete measures to improve their respect for religious freedom.
Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support this resolution, disapproving the extension of the nondiscriminatory treatment of the People's Republic of China.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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