Associated Press reported only yesterday that the family of the Karmapa Lama, who recently fled to India, has been detained. The widespread publicity given to the plight of this particular monastery may offer some protection for the Karmapa Lama and his family. It is the six million Tibetan Buddhists who live outside the international spotlight who continue to be the victims of Chinese government religious persecution. As you know, Mr. Chairman, the AFL-CIO is urging Congress not to grant China permanent Normal Trade Relations status and discard annual congressional reviews of that country's human rights record. The AFL-CIO recently commissioned a new national survey of registered voters conducted by Peter Hart Research Associates.
Public opinion is strongly opposed to ending the system of annual review for China.
Americans feel strongly that U.S. trade agreements should prevent the loss of jobs in the U.S., protect the environment, and stop unfair competition from countries who violate workers' rights. Sixty-three percent of Democrats and 75 percent of Republicans oppose permanent normal trade relations for China. This is not the time, in our view, to reduce the leverage we may have on China to improve this dubious record by ending the annual review and giving the Chinese government a blank check.