'We chose to ride a tiger and the tiger will decide when we get off, and it has curtailed the ability of America to talk about human rights in China because the corporate interests are so great. But I say if we do not—if we hesitate to speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interest, we lose all moral authority to speak out for human rights anyplace in the world.'
- Pelosi (HEARING BEFORE THE CONGRESSIONAL-EXECUTIVE COMMISSION ON CHINA - The Broken Promises of China's WTO Accession: Reprioritizing Human Rights (
pdf))
'Contrary to what many proponents of normalized trade relations argued at the time, increased commercial ties have failed to yield improvements in human rights and the rule of law..''In joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) 15 years ago, the Chinese government made commitments that were important not only for China’s commercial development around the world, but also for its development of political reforms and the rule of law at home. The Chinese economy has benefited greatly from the international rules-based system, but the Chinese Communist Party continues to reject the notion that the rule of law should supersede the Party’s role in leading the state, impeding its ability to abide by its WTO commitments and transition to market economy status. China has largely failed to implement the substantive legal reforms anticipated 15 years ago, and has persisted in violating international human rights standards with lasting harm to both U.S. interests and the Chinese people.
Contrary to what many proponents of normalized trade relations argued at the time, increased commercial ties have failed to yield improvements in human rights and the rule of law, causing many long-time China watchers to call for new thinking on U.S.-China policy. While the Trump Administration has thus far stressed the trade dimension of the bilateral relationship, this hearing will explore the interconnectivity between a China that honors its varied international commitments and abides by the rule of law at home—gleaning lessons from the past 30 years of U.S.-China relations.'
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The Broken Promises of China's WTO Accession: Reprioritizing Human Rights, March 1, 2017
Context '..the West’s 25-year bet on China has failed.' - How the West got China wrong - '..China uses business to confront its enemies. It seeks to punish firms directly, as when Mercedes-Benz..'The Human Rights Crisis in Xinjiang - '..As we heard today, China harasses citizens of other countries, including American citizens..''..closing China off from access to the things that pave its way to power.''..China’s disinformation network..''..China’s problem. The problem isn’t capitalism. It’s power.''..If a government cannot respect the basic rights of people it claims as its own citizens..''..We have a revanchist Russia .. And we have a China, which is still Leninist..'