China and a Failed WTO Accession
by Pete Hoekstra • December 17, 2021 at 5:00 am
Twenty years later we can only begin to describe how wrong the assessments were about China and how damaging this single decision has been to the global economic order.
[China] was using predatory practices to drive out European competitors to Huawei so that the CCP would soon dominate this key market. Rather than following the rules, China abused its new access to go into more countries an engage in market manipulation, predatory pricing and lending, and surreptitiously to seed its national security apparatus abroad.
Most American companies have not had the backbone to defend themselves against China's unfair policies and to stand up for their workers in the U.S. and human rights and freedom in China. More often than not, the only consideration these companies have is the bottom line.
It is time to reevaluate and confront China for the policies of the last 20 years.... Twenty years is enough of sacrificing American jobs, technology, and national security on the altar of full access to the Chinese market that the U.S. and the West will never get.
In all honesty, what is really dangerous is ignoring the long list of abuses and evil behavior by China and the Chinese Communist Party for another 20 years. Now is the time for the West finally to wake up before it is too late.
In 2000 the U.S. Congress passed legislation establishing Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with China. The foundation for this successful China vote was established in 1998 when Congress adjusted terminology to rebrand "most favored nation" as "normal trade relations." These and other shenanigans by Congress enabled China ultimately to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO) in December 2001. This fundamentally changed the economic role that China plays globally, propelling it to the second-largest economy in the world today.
The pressures and negotiations leading up to the House of Representatives voting on PNTR were significant. President Bill Clinton wanted to cement his legacy with what would be viewed as a landmark agreement. Many of us in Congress were skeptical of the arguments that were being made about granting China PNTR, and realized it was much more than that.
