WASHINGTON - Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families Founder and former Republican presidential candidate today called on the Republican congressional leadership to reverse course on granting World Trade Organization (WTO) membership to China.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Lott and House Speaker Hastert, Bauer makes the case that "It is unconscionable that Congress, in light of these events of recent days and of the last year, would consider rewarding China with WTO membership." The text of the letter sent today follows.
February 25, 2000
The Honorable Trent Lott
Majority Leader, U.S. Senate
The Honorable Dennis Hastert
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Gentlemen: I am calling on you and all Republican leaders in the Congress today to reverse course and announce your unwillingness to allow China into the World Trade Organization (WTO) because of that country's dangerous actions of the last week. Republicans should lead the way in defeating permanent most favored nation trade status for China as a way into the WTO.
It is unconscionable that Congress, in light of these events of recent days and of the last year, would consider rewarding China with WTO membership.
China's threat to Taiwan this week -- that Taiwan must start talks on reunification immediately or face attack by the People's Liberation Army - is just the latest war-making chapter in a series of aggressive moves over the course of the last two years.
We must stop sending mixed signals on our seriousness about the China threat. China has stolen our military secrets, meddled in our elections, moved to take control of the Panama Canal, and is building long-range missiles aimed at the United States.
Now is not the time to reward an aggressor. It is time to put principle above trade and not reward China with WTO membership.
President Clinton said yesterday that "it would be a terrible mistake" to reject a trade deal with China, and then went on to acknowledge that Beijing poses a growing threat to Taiwan and has a dismal record on both basic human rights and massive arms proliferation. The President is exactly wrong on China.
The terrible mistake the United States Congress would make would be to give one of the world's greatest threats to peace a coveted seat in the WTO.
Sincerely yours,
Gary L. Bauer |
