Excerpt: Rep. Wolf Feb. 29 Congressional Record Remarks on China
(Wolf argues against permanent Normal Trade Relations)Rep. Frank Wolf (Republican of Virginia), a member of the Executive Committee of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, argued against the Clinton Administration's goal of granting China permanent Normal Trade Relations (NTR) status in a February 29 speech to fellow members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Citing the State Department's 1999 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in China, Wolf said that China's human rights practices "deteriorated markedly throughout the year" and called upon his fellow legislators to "read the report before they vote" on whether to grant China permanent NTR.
"Every Member ought to read this report. And after reading this report, I know my colleagues will be with the American people and they will not support permanent normal trade relations for China," Wolf said.
Following is an excerpt from the February 29 Congressional Record containing Wolf's remarks:
(begin text)
GRANTING CHINA PERMANENT MOST FAVORED NATION TRADE STATUS
(House of Representatives - February 29, 2000)
[Page: H514]The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert): Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 19, 1999, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) is recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
Mr. WOLF: Madam Speaker, I rise today to voice my concern about granting China permanent normal trade relations. According to the recently released 1999 State Department human rights report on China, it says, `human rights deteriorated markedly throughout the year.' Every Member ought to read the report before they vote.
The State Department's human rights report describes the People's Republic of China as `an authoritarian state in which the Chinese Communist party is the paramount source of power.' Did my colleagues know that the human rights report, it says that the Chinese Government carries out `numerous executions after summary trials'? Did my colleagues know that more people were executed in China last year than anywhere else in the world? My goodness, this Congress and this administration wants to give China MFN. For example, the State Department reports that a radio station in China reported that eight people were arrested and quickly executed right after being sentenced.
Do my colleagues know that the report says that China has still not accounted for those missing or detained in connection with the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrators? Eleven years. The moms and dads do not know where their children are. And this administration and this Congress wants to grant China permanent trade status? Shame.
Do my colleagues know that the State Department says that the Chinese Government has, `Intensified its efforts to suppress this dissent.'? The report says that by last year's end almost all the leaders of the China Democracy Party were serving long prison terms or were in custody without formal charges.
Do the Members of this body know that the report says that the Chinese Government sentenced numerous leaders of the Falun Gong spiritual movement to long prison terms and sent them to psychiatric hospitals? Do the Members know, does the Clinton administration know, does anybody care? The American people care. I do not know who cares up here or in the administration.
Do my colleagues know that the State Department reports that the Chinese Government ignores its own laws that are supposed to provide for fundamental human rights? Do my colleagues know that the report says the Chinese Government ignores these laws in practice with abuses that include extrajudicial killings, torture, mistreatment of prisoners, forced confessions, arbitrary arrests, detention and lengthy incommunicado detention? I have been in Beijing Prison Number One, and I can tell my colleagues that it is grim.
Do my colleagues know the report says the Chinese Government continues to restrict freedom of religion and has intensified controls on unregistered churches? Do my colleagues know that the report says the government infringes on its citizens' privacy rights, freedom of movement, freedom of press, freedom of free assembly?
Do my colleagues know that the report speaks to violence against women, including coercive family planning practices, which sometimes include forced abortions and forced sterilization? They track the women down and force them to have an abortion. The report speaks to trafficking, prostitution, discrimination against women, trafficking in women and children, abuse of children, discrimination against disabled and minorities. These are all problems. This is in the State Department report that every Member ought to read.
Do my colleagues know the report says that the Chinese Government continues to restrict tightly workers' rights and forced labor in prison facilities remains a problem? Do my colleagues know the report says child labor persists in China? Do my colleagues know the report says that `Particularly serious human rights abuses persist in minority areas, especially in Tibet.'? The Chinese government has plundered Tibet. They are persecuting the Muslims; they are persecuting the Catholic Church; they are persecuting the Protestant Church. Do my colleagues know that the report says that unapproved religious groups, including Protestant and Catholic groups, continue to experience varying degrees of official interference, repression and prosecution?
Do my colleagues know the report says that the Chinese `government continues to require all places of religious activity to register with the government.'? Do my colleagues know the report says that Chinese authorities, guided by national policy, make strong efforts to control unapproved Catholic and Protestant churches? Religious services were broken up and house church leaders or adherents were harassed and fined, detained, beaten and tortured? This is in the State Department report.
I could go on with other examples of human rights abuses by the Chinese Government, but I would end by asking if my colleagues know that the Chinese Government refuses to allow Catholics to recognize the authority of the Pope in matters of faith and morals?
Do my colleagues know the report says that numerous Catholic bishops and believers have been imprisoned and beaten? Do my colleagues know the report says that in May of last year, Bishop Yan Weiping was found dead in Beijing shortly after being released from prison? Do my colleagues know, looking at this picture, that this report says that the whereabouts of some of these bishops, like Bishop Su, reportedly arrested in 1997, are still unclear?
Every Member ought to read this report. And after reading this report, I know my colleagues will be with the American people and they will not support permanent normal trade relations for China.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: usinfo.state.gov)
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