U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-UT), Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Rick Scott (R-UT) introduced the China Trade Relations Act (CTRA) on Thursday (March 18) to strip China (the Communist Party of China) of its enjoyment of “permanent normal trade relations” (PNTR) status, i.e., revoke China’s permanent MFN status and return to the pre-2001 system.
This bill, if passed, would allow the U.S. to evaluate China’s eligibility for Most Favored Nation (MFN) status on an annual basis under the Jackson-Vanik amendment. In other words, China would have to obtain the approval of the President of the United States each year to qualify for Most Favored Nation status. The bill would also expand the scope of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment to include human rights and trade violations as disqualifying factors in the MFN assessment.
A related bill was previously introduced in the House by federal Republican Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.Y.).
Cotton, Inhofe and Scott lay out reasons for revoking China’s MFN
“For two decades, China (Communist Party of China) has had permanent MFN status, which has exacerbated the loss of American manufacturing jobs. It is Time to protect American jobs and go after the Chinese Communist Party for its forced labor camps and gross human rights violations.” Cotton said.
“I said it 20 years ago and I’ll say it again: We cannot allow the pursuit of trade to blind us to certain realities of China’s ruling Communist regime. China (the Communist Party) has repeatedly threatened the United States and Taiwan. Along with its increasingly hostile military modernization efforts to steal U.S. nuclear secrets and other key technologies, China (CCP) has repeatedly tried to corrupt the U.S. political system. Not to mention, they (CCP) have violated too many international agreements and are ‘known’ globally for their brutal repression of dissidents and disregard for human rights.” Inhofe said.
He added that it would be “dangerously misleading” for the U.S. to continue to ignore these Chinese Communist Party actions and pretend that they are not linked to the U.S.-China trade relationship.
“Ending China’s (CCP) permanent preferential trade relationship would send a strong message to the CCP and would also support American workers,” Inhofe said. Inhofe said.
“The Obama/Biden appeasement of Communist China has done nothing but fuel the power of General Secretary Xi and kill American jobs. Since being elected to the Senate, I have fought every day to promote human rights and to ensure that Communist China suffers the consequences of its aggression.” Scott said, “I am proud to join my colleagues in continuing this important work to protect Americans from the threat of Communist China and its unfair trade practices, and to hold General Secretary Xi accountable for his horrific human rights violations.”
Bill Would Expand Review of Communist China’s Access to Most Favored Nation Treatment
A press release issued by Senator Cotton’s office said that on September 19, 2000, the U.S. Senate voted to grant permanent MFN status to China. This vote paved the way for China’s entry into the World Trade Organization. Granting China this trade status fueled a surge in Chinese trade that destroyed 2 million U.S. jobs after 2001. It also led to a surge in commercial investment in China, making the Chinese Communist Party stronger and more dangerous.
The China Trade Relations Act would revoke China’s permanent MFN status and restore it to the pre-2001 status quo, where China’s MFN status must be renewed annually at the discretion of the President. Congress could pass a joint resolution of disapproval to override the President’s decision to renew MFN.
The bill would also expand the list of human rights and trade violations under the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. In the absence of a presidential waiver, the CCP would lose MFN eligibility if it commits the following violations.
-Using or providing slave labor.
-Operating so-called “vocational training and Education centers” or other concentration camps where people are held against their will
-Performing or ordering forced abortions or sterilizations
-forcibly removing the organs of prisoners without their consent
-Obstructing the free exercise of religion
-Intimidate or harass Chinese citizens residing outside the People’s Republic of China; or
-Programmed economic espionage against the United States, including the theft of intellectual property rights from Americans.
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