They fear the human rights violations will increase once the door is shut and the spotlight of democracy is dimmed. China is rapidly becoming one of the dominant economic and political powers in the world, and I believe it is far better for us to keep China as a friend than to treat it as an adversary. The only practical way is to be a genuine friend. China possesses nuclear weapons and intercontinental missile capability. Isolating ourselves and hoping that China never becomes a superpower is like hiding under the covers and hoping the sun does not rise in the morning.
China is a superpower and can either be made our friend or confronted as an enemy.
Former NAE President Don Argue said we should follow the advice of the people actually dealing with the issue in China. But we did not feel that we should just proceed without checking with the people who are in ministry in China. While abuses continue in China, there is hope for the future. Bit by bit, signs of democracy are slowly emerging along with opportunities to press China to improve its human rights record. Hong Kong's transition to Chinese rule last year has shown the Communist leaders the benefits of economic and political freedoms.