China MFN Factsheet

[Jeremy Madsen <jmadsen@Essential.ORG>]

  Attached is the most recent fact sheet produced by the Citizens
  Trade Campaign on the issue of China Most Favored Nation trade
  status.  Please feel free to cross post. 
  
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  --------------------------
  
  
  U.S. to Give China Special, New Trade Privileges on June 1, 1996?
  No Way!!
  
  
  The same multinational corporations that pushed us into NAFTA and
  GATT now want the United States to give China -- top on
  everyone's list of human rights, nuclear proliferation, slave and
  prison labor and environmental rogue states -- special "Most
  Favored Nation (MFN)" trade status. This special "MFN" status
  means China would automatically get a brimming basket of trade
  benefits and rights the U.S. grants to its closest allies and
  that the World Trade Organization provides for WTO Members.
  Corporations want MFN to move jobs to China's prison and child
  labor factories -- from high wage countries like the U.S. and
  Mexico! (compared to China) -- and send the goods back to U.S.
  consumers for maximum profits.
  
  China has not been allowed into the World Trade organization due
  to a long list of economic, political and other issues. So, each
  year the U.S. President and Congress must decide under what terms
  the U.S. will conduct trade with China that year. This is a rare
  opportunity of leverage to review China's trade, human and labor
  rights, nuclear proliferation, environmental and other activities
  each year.
  
  The reasons why China cannot be rewarded with such special trade
  privileges are compelling. Which is why this year is the year we
  can make sure China doesn't get MFN! Besides prison and child
  labor, Tibet and Taiwan, a sample of the problems:
  
  Human Rights and Democracy Crushed: China has repeatedly smashed
  the most modest efforts by Chinese human rights and democracy
  activists to even discuss the most basic human rights -- like the
  right of Chinese citizens to meet together or to publish their
  opinions. China has done so in the most high profile, flagrant
  ways possible -- noisily arresting democracy advocates during
  China visits of U.S. officials -- daring the U.S. to respond.
  Every year, the corporations slither under the cloak of human
  rights arguing: the best way to improve human rights in China is
  to be "engaged." Luckily for South Africa's people, that same
  argument was trounced by Nelson Mandela's arguments against such
  democracy-damaging, immoral engagement. Time's overdue to send a
  message. China would get off easy if their human rights outrages
  only cause less than "favorite" trade privileges.
  
  $33 Billion Trade Deficit with the U.S.: Only Japan has a more
  lopsided trade elationship with the U.S. than China. Billion and
  billions of slave and child labor goods pour into U.S. markets
  from China. A trickle of U.S. goods are exported to China where
  the minimum wage is less than $50 a month in the "affluent"
  special economic zones, and even less throughout the rest of the
  country. Using the optimistic trade formulas of the U.S. Commerce
  Department, the 1995 China deficit cost the U.S. over one half of
  a million U.S. jobs! Who is leading the push for China MFN?
  Corporate thugs like Catapillar and U.S. agribusiness and
  chemical companies.
  
  Spreading Nuclear Weapons: Only months ago, China was caught
  sending to Pakistan materials to create nuclear weapons. Last
  year it was the same deadly business with Iran. These known
  incidents -- clears violation of China's pledge under the global
  Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty -- demonstrates both how China
  flouts the rule of law and how China is placing the world in
  greater danger of nuclear attacks and terrorism.
  
  Environmental and Endangered Species Rogues: Even the World Bank
  chose not to fund from China's notorious "Three Gorges Dam"
  project because it would force one million people out of their
  homes, flood the grand canyon of China, destroy rare
  environmental and archeological sites, and disrupt the life-
  sustaining ecology of the Yangtze River. Yet, China marches on
  with the project which is also considered technologically
  impossible. The Chinese military continues to round up villagers
  in the planned flood zone at gun point forcing them to abandon
  their homes and farms. Caterpillar Corporation is trying to get
  the U.S. Import-Export Bank to give China tax payers dollars to
  buy Caterpillar earth moving equipment to quick rip up the
  planned dam site before protest grows. Meanwhile, China has been
  documented to be the largest single market for the sale of
  endangered species parts and pelts -- a voracious biodiversity
  vacuum. 
  
  Do You Think the U.S. Should Give China Special Trade Privileges
  on this Record? 
  
  Call your Representative & Senators. The Capitol Switchboard
  phone number is (202)224-3121. Say:
  
  No MFN for China! Enough is Enough!
  
  For more information, contact:  Citizens Trade Campaign (202)879-
  4297 or Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch (202)546-4996.