• China has never kept any promise or lived up to any trade agreements they’ve made in the last twenty years.
• China is a national security threat.
• China is stealing American commercial technology, military application technology and our nuclear secrets.
• Trade with China does not create jobs for Americans.
• China abuses parents and children with slave labor.
• Many Congressmen and Senators don’t even know what’s in the trade deal.
• China has not kept its promise on the trade agreement it signed on intellectual property rights ten years ago.
• China grown more belligerent every year toward America and Taiwan.
• The worst thing for America to do would be to award China’s war threats and belligerence with an offer of permanent, low-tariff trade and access to American markets.
  
  

June 7, 2000

Mr. Bryan McCanless
National Business Association
150 Executive Center Dr., Suite 35, B-124
Greenville, South Carolina 29615

Dear Bryan:

Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to the recent trade agreement with China. Like you, I am very wary of dealing with a repressive regime known for its deception and human rights abuses.

My recent decision was not an easy one and came after much soul-searching, personal reflection, and detailed research. Because I do not take special interest money or soft money from corporation or PACs, I was able to independently evaluate this important issue. I met with peach and cattle farmers, professors from Bob Jones University who teach English in China, textile workers, Chinese students and employees from Fountain Inn to Union.

After over 50 meetings with folks on all sides of the issue, I believe we should strike at the very heart of hard-line Chinese communism and actively engage China — enabling our people, our products, and our principles to change that land. For the last 20 years, we have used the same strategy in dealing with China: our borders have been open to Chinese imports, but China has not been open to us. This has not worked. Human rights abuses have continued and imports have increased. The new agreement changes that — it is a one-way deal that requires China to make all the concessions. They must lower their tariffs and allow American products into China.

Additionally, I worked up until the last minute to secure new, tough human rights oversight in the agreement that requires continual review of their government instead a once-a-year review. In the end, I joined 75 percent of the Republicans to pass the agreement.

Thank you again for sharing your views with me. I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future on any issue that concerns you or your family.

Sincerely,

Jim DeMint
Member of Congress

June 15, 2000

Congressman Jim DeMint
507 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Jim:

Thank you for your letter of June 7, 2000 regarding the China Trade legislation. You state, “For the last 20 years our markets have been open to Chinese imports, but China has not been open to us. This has not worked. Human rights abuses have continued and imports have increased.”

It is ludicrous to think permanent trade for China will solve the problems of fair trade, slave labor and human rights abuses.

China has never kept any promise and never lived up to any trade agreements. America has had trade with China for 20 years and it hasn’t solved anything. It is laughable to think permanent trade for China will solve anything. Trade with China has not stopped China from stealing our technology that has military application.

In fact, prior to 1993, China couldn’t launch a rocket, however, after President Clinton and your Republican Congress liberalized trade with China they can now not only launch rockets but also have 13 inter-continental ballistic missiles that can destroy twenty major U.S. cities.

As a result of trade with China, the Chinese have a new fleet of destroyer Russian-built Kilo-class submarines and they are building a new nuclear submarine with ballistic missiles that can reach the entire United States.

Trade with China allows parents and children to be subject to slave labor. Even your ally on China trade, The Greenville News, admits that devious textile and apparel imports mock quota agreements and unfairly burden American textiles costing hundreds of thousands of American jobs.

Every year for 20 years your Republican Congressmen have said we will vote for China trade but we will protect American textile jobs. The promises by Congress to protect American textile jobs didn’t happen because China didn’t keep their promise.

This current China trade deal will not make Americans more secure or protect American textile jobs. You don’t honor your Christian Profession with your vote for permanent China trade status. This trade agreement endangers America.

The last time we were told international trade and economic interdependence would promote peace and economic security was January 17, 1912. Norman Angell told Americans and international bankers the foregoing statement January 17, 1912. Result: by 1914 we had World War I which planted the seeds for World War II.

Your letter and reply rings hollow and empty. The facts and history do not support China trade.

Sincerely,

Bryan McCanless