The Chinese regime is undeserving of its permanent preferential trade status with the United States because of its chronic human rights abuses, intellectual property theft, and threats to neighboring countries, according to Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.).
The bill, H.R. 7193 , would strip the Chinese regime of permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status, which it gained through legislation introduced in Congress in 2000 (under the rubric of “most favored nation” status). It would make the country’s trade status contingent upon its observance of human rights standards.
Prior to 2000, Beijing had to undergo regular review in order for its most favored nation status to be renewed. The conferral of PNTR status made it possible for Beijing to evade such scrutiny even as it continued to violate democratic norms and human rights on a large scale. The bill that Tiffany has thrown his support behind will once again require annual review, hence “re-linking” trade status and human rights.
Tiffany described the bipartisan nature of H.R. 7193 as an indication that not only lawmakers on his own side of the aisle, but both major U.S. political parties are understanding the abuses occurring under Chinese Communist Party rule.
“We’re certainly seeing a bipartisan push and more Democrats who are understanding [the issues], especially with China threatening their neighbor, Taiwan, and democracy basically no longer existing in Hong Kong. And we’re hearing continued stories about the ethnic Uyghurs and the Falun Gong being suppressed, and in some instances enslaved,” Tiffany told NTD.
“I think both Republicans and some Democrats understand that it’s not acceptable for us to give them most favored nation status, which has certainly benefited Wall Street over the last 20 years, but has it benefited the average American? I think more and more people are saying that’s not the case,” he added.
Bipartisan support for H.R. 7193 has developed in spite of what Tiffany sees as the Democratic Party’s evolution away from populism and toward being “a party for the billionaires in this country.” In the lawmaker’s view, it is well past time for both parties to devote more concern to middle America, which has suffered disproportionately from the China’s PNTR status, and particularly from widespread intellectual property theft on the part of Chinese entities and the trade deficits that have accrued in U.S.-China commerce.
“We want to trade with China, but it has to be done in a fair way. And giving them permanent [PNTR] status takes away all of our leverage. Let’s bring the leverage back to where we can encourage good behavior by a country that has been exhibiting bad behavior for a number of years,” Tiffany said.
