The Administration and this Congress do not lack for evidence or information about the nature of the Chinese government. But the siren song of vast Chinese markets has deafened too many ears to the news of oppression and abuse inside China. Too often, the U.S. has chosen to ignore the realities before us and, as in this trade debate, has engaged in political and intellectual contortions to compartmentalize and seal off a host of important issues so that the promise of vast profits can stand alone and unencumbered. I fear that this country will find its policy in shambles unless we force ourselves to see the facts before us.
China continues to be one of the most oppressive states in the world.
The State Department acknowledges that the human rights situation in China has deteriorated over the past year - a year in which the U.S. has extended normal trade relations with China, casting doubt on the claims that trade will lead to greater openness and therefore greater civil and political rights in China. The list of abuses committed by the Chinese government is so lengthy, so encompassing, as to be numbing. Thousands of political prisoners remain in prison - many sentenced after unfair trials or no trial at all. The Chinese government has waged a campaign to destroy all sources of dissent. Activists in Xinjiang have been the target of a campaign of arrests, substandard trials, and executions.