By JONAH GREENBERG
(Virtual China News, Apr. 4) President Clinton stressed the moral importance of granting China permanent Normal Trade Relations Status (PNTR) in a speech Monday, linking the trade debate to the contentious issue of human rights.
The Clinton Administration is lobbying heavily to gather enough votes in the House of Representatives to pass the trade bill, which will be put to vote in June. By granting PNTR to China, Congress would allow U.S. businesses to enjoy diminished trade barriers that Chinese trade representatives agreed to last November as part of the China's bilateral bid with the U.S. to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Last week, the Administration attempted to put distance between the trade bill and human rights issues by proposing ways Congress might retain recourse to reprimand China on possible human rights abuses in the future. On Monday, however, Clinton linked the two by suggesting passage of PNTR in Congress would be a positive step towards improving human rights and bringing democracy to China.
"What is the most intelligent thing we can do to increase the chances that China will become more open, more democratic, and a constructive member of the global community in the 21st century?," Clinton asked rhetorically. "I think the answer is to allow them in [to the WTO] and to let liberty spread from within," Clinton said.
The remarks were made during the President's speech to the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) Monday. The speech was part of the DLC's conference "New Challenges of the New Economy," which took place in Silicon Valley.
Cats & Cattle
In an attempt to leverage the strong appeal of the human rights issue in favor of the passage of PNTR, Clinton made broad claims about the types of organizations that have typically been the most vocal about human rights in China.
"Most evangelical Christians who have missions in China want China in the WTO. Most human rights organizations want China in the WTO," he said.
Clinton pointed to the Internet as a likely instrument of change in China, and went on to say that the Chinese government's recent measures to crack down on the Internet are futile. Evoking laughter from his audience, Clinton likened China's efforts to a TV commercial in which cowboys try in vain to herd cats instead of cattle.
"The very fact that the Chinese government is trying to herd these cats shows you how real the changes are, and how much they threaten the old
order," Clinton said.
In the last two months, key government ministries in Beijing have hindered the growth of the country's Internet industry by imposing draconian rules on foreign businesses and by denying Internet content providers (ICP's) approval to seek overseas listings. China has since repealed some of these crackdown efforts and announced that investment restrictions will be repealed upon China's entry into the WTO.
Strained Relations
Throughout his speech Clinton emphasized the importance of information technologies as a driving force in the American economy, as well as in the country's success in the global economy. Thirty percent of America's growth in the last few years has come out of the high-tech sector, he said. Clinton pointed out the benefit that increased trade with China could offer high-tech businesses in the U.S.
"When China joins the WTO, by 2005 it will eliminate tariffs on information technology products, making the tools of communication even cheaper, better, and more widely available. American telecommunications firms and service providers are perfectly poised to fill this enormous market," he said.
Clinton also pointed out that U.S.-China relations largely hinge on the treatment in Congress of the trade bill. Failure to pass PNTR would not only hurt America economically, he said, but also "dramatically strain our relations with China at a time when we need to maintain a positive ability to impact their conduct."
While relations between Washington and Beijing have been improving since an all-time low last May, when NATO forces bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, relations have been strained recently by cross-Strait tensions, and by the the House of Representatives' passage last month of the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act (TSEA).
To reach Jonah Greenberg: jgreenberg@virtualchina.net
