Free trade has been hyped as the solution to almost everything. But how will peace really come?
by Darris McNeely
On May 24, the U.S. House of Representatives
voted decisively to grant permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with
China. The vote came after an intense lobbying effort on the part of the
Clinton administration that has an interesting legacy of relations with
this Asian giant. Three former U.S. presidents and a host of top foreign
policy experts came out in support of this measure. The Senate is expected
to ratify this move when it comes before them.
This vote is a stepping-stone to
China's later expected entry into the World Trade Organization. Proponents
of this bill say that American business will benefit from easier access
to the vast Chinese consumer market. Tariffs would be reduced and trade
would be expanded. American businesses hope for greater distribution
of consumer items, which in turn would translate into more jobs for
American workers.
Opponents say that the United States
gives up far more than it gains. It gives up its right to unilateral
trade restrictions. Since 1992, China has signed four agreements with
the United States. According to a recent article in The Economist, China
has only complied satisfactorily with one of those agreements, the
one that protects intellectual property rights. It rated compliance
with the other three (dealing with the environment, nuclear proliferation
and private commercial disputes) as fair, "a bit less so" and bad (May
20, 2000, p. 21). Whether China will play according to the agreed rules
of today's global economy is suspect in some circles.
Human rights
Another issue of concern is China's record
on human rights. Does this agreement give endorsement to grave violations
by the Communist leadership? The Clinton administration's own annual
report on human rights in China found that China's "poor human-rights record deteriorated
markedly throughout [1999] as the government intensified efforts to suppress
dissent" (ibid.).
