AJC Urges CongressTo Grant China Permanent Normal Trade Relations

American Jewish Committee
Thursday, 18 May 2000

The American Jewish Committee is calling on Congress to support the granting of permanent normal trade relations to China.

In letters delivered today to all 535 members of Congress, AJC asserts that closer and broader interaction with China "will strengthen the political and business forces of openness within China," and that could improve human rights conditions in China, the world's most populous nation and a rapidly growing actor on the international scene, as well as deepen political ties to the West.

"Permanent normal trade relations, we believe, will bring more American goods, services and citizens to the Chinese market – and with them, inexorably, will come American values about information, economics, democracy and human rights," states the letter, citing AJC's Statement on Permanent Normal Trade Relations for China.

"Support for PNTR does not diminish our profound concerns about China's suppression of its citizens' freedom of worship, expression and assembly and its potentially destabilizing role in the proliferation of missile and nonconventional weapons technology," said AJC President Bruce M. Ramer. "But we do believe that promoting trade with China is consistent with U.S. political and strategic objectives, and will lead, we earnestly hope, to a marked improvement in human rights conditions in China."

If Congress approves PNTR for China, AJC will continue to monitor Chinese policies across a spectrum of domestic and international issues, and will continue to speak out, as needs arise, on matters of human rights, and political and strategic concern.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org