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19 September 2000
President Clinton September 19 praised the overwhelming vote in the
Senate for legislation that grants China Permanent Normal Trade
Relations (PNTR) status, calling it a "landmark agreement."
Appearing in the White House briefing room shortly after the Senate
voted 83-15 to approve the legislation, Clinton said the measure "will
extend economic prosperity at home and promote economic freedom in
China, increasing the prospects for openness in China and a more
peaceful future for all of us."
Once the bill is signed by Clinton, it becomes law.
The House of Representatives had passed the same legislation May 24 by
a 237-197 margin.
Clinton said the new law will give the United States "a chance -- not
a certainty, but a chance -- to strengthen our prosperity and our
security, and to see China become a more open society. Now our test as
a nation is whether we can achieve that. I hope and I strongly believe
that we will."
Asked what incentive China will have to listen to U.S. concerns about
human rights and weapons proliferation, Clinton said that already, on
the proliferation front, "we've made a lot of progress. China signed
the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Biological Weapons Convention,
the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the Nuclear Nonproliferation
Treaty, and they worked with us to stop transfers that we thought were
destructive, and on more than one occasion."
Problems persist, Clinton said, but "the incentive they will have is
that more and more countries will want to become more and more
involved with them as long as they feel that they're becoming more
responsible members of the international community."
On the Middle East, Clinton said reports that the Israelis broke off
discussions with the Palestinians and then said they were to resume,
only reflects the fact that both sides are "down to the difficult
issues, and they're both feeling the pressure of these hard issues and
the press of time. I don't think it's more complicated than that, and
I think you should expect, from time to time, both sides to express
some exasperation, and as long as they get back to the work, you
should feel positive about it."
Regarding the Cuban plane reported to be hijacked that went down the
morning of September 19 in the Gulf of Mexico, Clinton said there will
be "a lot of questions about what should be done about the people that
are found alive. I think the most important thing now is just to worry
about their care -- how badly are they hurt, what kind of medical care
do they need, how quickly can we get it to them? To me, that's the
overwhelming question. And I think other facts will emerge as the day
goes on, and we'll probably know a lot more about it tomorrow."
Asked how close he is to deciding whether to tap into the Strategic
Petroleum Reserve, Clinton said "We need a few more days to see what
the real market impact of the OPEC decision is." The Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries recently announced it would boost oil
production.
Clinton said the results of that decision are not yet clear. "It's
been sort of complicated by speculations about Iraq, about
speculations about what the refinery capacity is, and some
uncertainties still about how much oil is on the seas now, based on
production. So I'm studying this very closely. I've talked to a lot of
people about it. I will continue to do that."
Following is the White House transcript:
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
September 19, 2000
Remarks by the President
On Senate Passage of China Permanent Normal
Trade Relations
The James S. Brady Briefing Room
3:42 P.M. EDT
The President: Good afternoon. Today the Senate voted to pave the way
for permanent normal trade relations between the United States and
China. This landmark agreement will extend economic prosperity at home
and promote economic freedom in China, increasing the prospects for
openness in China and a more peaceful future for all of us.
When we open markets abroad to U.S. goods, we open opportunities at
home. This vote will do that. In return for normal trade relations --
the same terms of trade we offer now to more than 130 other countries
-- China will open its markets to American products from wheat, to
cars, to consulting services. And we will be far more able to sell
goods in China without moving our factories there.
But there is much more at stake here than our economic self-interests;
it's about building a world in which more human beings have more
freedom, more control over their lives, more contact with others than
ever before. A world in which countries are tied more closely
together, and the prospects for peace are strengthened.
Trade alone won't create this kind of world, but bringing China under
global rules of trade is a step in the right direction. The more China
opens its markets to our products, the wider it opens its doors to
economic freedom, and the more fully it will liberate the potential of
its people.
When China finishes its negotiations and joins the WTO, our high-tech
companies will help to speed the information revolution there. Outside
competition will speed the demise of China's huge state industries and
spur the enterprise of private sector involvement.
They will diminish the role of government in people's daily lives. It
will strengthen those within China who fight for higher labor
standards, a cleaner environment, for human rights and the rule of
law.
And we will find, I believe, that America has more influence in China
with an outstretched hand than with a clenched fist. Of course, none
of us should think for a moment that any of these outcomes are
guaranteed. The advance of freedom ultimately will depend upon what
people in China are willing to do to continue standing up for change.
We will continue to help support them.
Peace and security in Asia will depend upon our military presence, our
alliances, on stopping the spread of deadly weapons. So we will
continue to be a force for peace, and we will not rest in our efforts
to make sure that freer trade also is fairer trade.
These are some of the most important issues that our nation faces.
That's why this vote was so important and, for many, so difficult. I
want to thank Senator Lott and Senator Daschle, Senator Roth, Senator
Moynihan and Senator Baucus, as well as those who led our effort in
the House, and everyone within this administration who worked so hard
to achieve this important milestone.
But I also want to acknowledge those who raised important questions
about this policy, and say to you this is not the end of the story, it
is the beginning. We have a chance -- not a certainty, but a chance --
to strengthen our prosperity and our security and to see China become
a more open society. Now our test as a nation is whether we can
achieve that. I hope, and I strongly believe, that we will.
Thank you very much.
Question: Mr. President, what's your understanding of what's going on
in the Middle East? Prime Minister Barak announced a suspension of
talks; now, he says he'll resume tomorrow. What's going on there, sir?
The President: They're down to the difficult issues, and they're both
feeling the pressure of these hard issues and the press of time. I
don't think it's more complicated than that, and I think you should
expect, from time to time, both sides to express some exasperation.
And as long as they get back to the work, you should feel positive
about it.
Q: Are you, sir, exasperated by the process itself?
The President: No. I always thought it was going to be hard. And
they're down to the difficult -- there are no easy decisions now, so
we've just got to keep working at it and try to finish.
Q: Now that they have the trade bill, sir, what incentive will China
have to listen to our concerns about human rights and weapons
proliferation?
The President: Well, first of all, on the proliferation front, let me
point out that we've made a lot of progress. China signed the Chemical
Weapons Convention, the Biological Weapons Convention, the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
And they work with us to stop transfers that we thought were
destructive on more than one occasion.
Are there still problems? Yes, there are. I think that the incentive
they will have is that more and more countries will want to become
more and more involved with them as long as they feel that they're
becoming more responsible members of the international community. And
also, they'll have other ways to earn money over the long run that are
responsible, legal, and actually socially beneficial.
And I also believe that they have shown in other ways that they would
like to be partners in the international system, and assume a
leadership role that is constructive. All of this will be possible if
there is a common course on nonproliferation. Furthermore, I think
that all big countries will come to see that their own personal
interests are more advanced by nonproliferation than by having various
entities within the country make a quick buck through proliferation.
It's not good politics, and it's certainly not good for national
security.
Q: Mr. President, have you followed the situation of this downed
aircraft just off of Cuba, and what can you tell us about that
situation, sir?
The President: I don't know that I can say any more than I have seen
on the breaking news. I have clearly -- I've been briefed, and we know
about what's been on the news reports. Let me say this. I can imagine
that there will be a lot of questions about what should be done about
the people that are found alive. I think the most important thing now
is just to worry about their care -- how badly are they hurt, what
kind of medical care do they need, how quickly can we get it to them.
To me, that's the overwhelming question, and I think other facts will
emerge as the day goes on, and maybe we'll probably know a lot more
about it tomorrow.
Q: How close are you, sir, to making a decision on tapping the
Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and what sort of time constraints do you
have to work with, given the fact that winter's coming?
The President: Well, first I want to -- I really do want to see what
is the considered market judgment about the recent OPEC move and I
don't think we've seen it yet. It's been sort of complicated by
speculations about Iraq, about speculations about what the refinery
capacity is, and some uncertainty, still, about how much oil is on the
seas now based on production.
So I'm studying this very closely. I've talked to a lot of people
about it; I will continue to do that. But we have some time before it
will be too late to affect the supplies and availability of all the
products we'll need as the cold weather sets in. I just think we need
a few more days to see what the real market impact of the OPEC
decision is. And as all of you know -- you've read all the stories and
analyses about what the decision might or might not mean -- and I just
want to see what the lay of the land is, and then I'll make the best
judgment I can.
Q: Would mid-October be too late?
Q: Mr. President, there's word that Independent Counsel Ray will
release a statement tomorrow about his findings on Whitewater,
including the role of your wife. Six weeks away from the election, do
you question the timing?
The President: Well, you know, even Mr. Starr said almost two years
ago that there was nothing to any of that stuff that's just been
coming out now, a year and a half later. So I think people are capable
of drawing their own conclusions about that. I don't think I can serve
much of the public interest by commenting on it. I think it's pretty
obvious.
We had a report from a truly independent source in 1996, saying that
nothing wrong was done and that Hillary's billing records fully
supported her account -- 1996. So nothing has changed in this thing in
the last few years, and I think people will just be able to draw their
own conclusions.
The Press: Thank you.
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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