CLINTON CRITICIZES BUSH DECISION TO RENEW CHINA'S MOST FAVORED NATION STATUS Los Angeles, CA -- Governor Bill Clinton today criticized President Bush's decision to unconditionally renew China's "Most Favored Nation" status, calling it "another sad chapter in this administration's history of putting America on the wrong side of human rights and democracy." "Rather than leading an international effort to pressure the Chinese government, the Bush Administration has coddled the regime, pleading for progress but failing to impose penalties for intransigience," Clinton said. Clinton said that Bush "rejected the will of the American people" by vetoing a bill passed by Congress that would require the Chinese government to make concrete progress in the areas of human rights, trade and nuclear proliferation in order to maintain its beneficial trade status. "The people of China are still denied their basic rights and liberties," Clinton said, "It is time to put America back on the side of democracy and freedom." A full text of the statement follows. For Immediate Release: June 3, 1992 -30-30-30- Governor Bill Clinton Statement on China June 3, 1992 President Bush's unconditional renewal of China's "Most Favored Nation" status is yet another sad chapter in this administration's history of putting America on the wrong side of human rights and democracy. Whether siding for too long with the status quo -- in Russia, in Ukraine, in the Baltics, and in a disintegrating Yugoslavia -- or in supporting Saddam Hussein just before his invasion of Kuwait, this Administration has failed the test of leadership and America's best values. The American people understand that the brave men and women who stood up to the coup in Moscow were fighting for the same principle as the martyrs of the Tiananmen Square who died three years ago at the hands of the repressive regime in China. America rallied behind the lone brave man who stopped the column of tanks, just as we supported Boris Yeltsin when he jumped onto a tank and faced down the hard line Soviet coup leaders. These brave democrats -- and tens of thousands whose human rights are denied by their own government -- deserve the full support of the American people. Yet, rather than leading an international effort to pressure the Chinese government, the Bush Administration has coddled the regime, pleading for progress but failing to impose penalties for intransigence. I was embarrassed for my country by the abhorrent secret mission in which the President's personal emissary toasted the regime following the massacre and by the Administration's veto of the Chinese student protection bill passed overwhelmingly in both houses of Congress. And now, for the third year in a row, President Bush has unconscionably renewed China's MFN status without a single condition. He has rejected the will of the American people by vetoing the bill passed by Congress to require the Chinese government to make concrete and significant progress in the areas of human rights, trade and nuclear proliferation in order to maintain its beneficial trade status. Despite the extraordinary gains for freedom across the world since the tragedy of Tiananmen Square, the people of China are still denied their basic rights and liberties. They are denied the right to choose their own leaders; they are still imprisoned for simply calling for democracy; they continue to suffer torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment. They still risk imprisonment without charge or trial and are subject to arbitrary arrest. As prisoners, some are still forced to produce cheap products for export abroad. And the people of Tibet continue to suffer especially harsh persecution under their Beijing oppressors. We still do not know how many individuals the Chinese government has detained or sentenced for their role in the demonstrations for democracy three years ago, but estimates run into the thousands. And the aging leadership in Beijing remains defiant and unrepentant in its refusal to allow the Chinese people to exercise their basic rights. Despite promises from the Administration of good behavior from the Chinese on non-proliferation, I am still concerned over possible Chinese sales of sophisticated weapons to regimes such as Syria and Iran. In addition, there are reports that they may be providing dual-use technology, information and training to Syria, Iran, Libya and Pakistan. And China's explosion last month of its largest nuclear test ever should be another strong warning signal that the Bush Administration's policy of constructive engagement has been a dismal failure. This morning, the leadership and other members of Congress in both Houses announced their intention to introduce parallel resolutions to condition the renewal of China's MFN status to progress in key areas. This legislation targets the state- owned enterprises for tariff increases if China fails to make progress and makes clear that we will not continue business as usual with the leaders in Beijing. For two years, the Administration has argued that its opposition to revoking China's privileged status was rooted in a concern about causing harm to members of the American business community or to the Chinese civilian population. This year's bill moots that argument by targeting only those enterprises which directly benefit the Chinese government. It is time to put America back on the side of democracy and freedom. I hope the Congress will move quickly to enact its important legislation and that the President will allow it to become the law of this land. End of Statement Clinton for President June 3, 1992