IssuesMatch: Link Human Rights and Trade in China

IssuesMatch

Link Human Rights and Trade in China

POSITIONS

Strongly Support means you believe: Buy American and impose import tariffs against China. Take a hard-line on the immorality of the Chinese government: No WTO, no MFN.
Support means you believe: Pressure for human rights improvements, and strict sanctions against future human rights violations, should be tied inherently to all trade negotiations with China.
Oppose means you believe: Maintain open trade with China as a tool to move China towards democracy. We should conduct open trade with China because it's good for the US economy - we will end up with cheaper prices and more export-related jobs.
Strongly Oppose means you believe: We should conduct open trade with China because the US government should not be involved with foreign government's affairs. I f we want to sanction China for human rights violations, we should do so by private-based boycotts.

This question is looking for your views on dealing with the world's largest remaining Communist power. However you answer the above question would be similar to your response to these statements:

Block China's entry into the WTO.
Do not grant China MFN.
The Cox Report indicates that China is our real enemy.
Formally recognize Taiwan.

BACKGROUND

‘One China’ Policy

The US, the ROC, and the PRC agreed in 1972 to the ‘One China’ policy, under which all parties abide by the fiction that China is one country currently under two governments but awaiting eventual reunification.

China is formally known as ‘The People’s Republic of China’, or ‘PRC.’ The PRC is home to nearly a billion and a half people, over 20% of the world’s population. The PRC has been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party since 1949.

Taiwan is known as ‘The Republic of China’ or ‘ROC.’ Taiwan is an island off the coast of the PRC, and has a democratically elected government. Taiwan is home to 21 million people, but its economy is comparable in size to the PRC. Taiwan split from the PRC during the Communist Revolution, when the former government was driven off the mainland by the Communists.

The US has promised to defend Taiwan against an invasion from China. China has promised to invade if Taiwan declares independence, most recently in July 1999 when Taiwan's President declared the ‘One China’ policy a fiction.

MFN

‘MFN’ means that China is treated in our trade relations in the same manner as we treat our ‘Most Favored Nations’ as trading partners. Granting China MFN status means that we have open trade with them.

Congress reviews MFN status annually to decide if China should be granted MFN status for the next year. Granting MFN status in recent years has been tied to the improvement of China’s human rights record. Talks are held between the US and the PRC to decide which human rights violations will be addressed, and then MFN status is granted.

The term ‘MFN’ has been replaced this year by ‘Normal Trading Relations’, abbreviated ‘NTR’, which means the same thing.

WTO

The World Trade Organization is the international agency which defines the rules of global trade between nations. Its purpose is to ensure free trade. Its 135 member nations, including the US and most other large economies, agree to keep import tariffs below specified levels when applied to other WTO members.

China is seeking membership in the WTO because that would ensure China of free trade with other WTO members. If granted WTO membership, China would no longer be subject to its annual MFN review. But China would also have to abide by the WTO trade rules themselves, which would mean lowering their import tariffs against US goods.

The Cox Report

A House of Representatives Committee chaired by Rep. Christopher Cox released a National Security report in May 1999 known as the ‘Cox Report.’ The report detailed how the Chinese government spied on US nuclear facilities over the last two decades and as a result was able to improve their nuclear capabilities. A secret version of the report was released to President Clinton in January 1999.

The candidates’ views on the Cox Report focus on what should be done to prevent further Chinese spying, and on what the government should do about past Chinese spying.

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