Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. statement, March 24, 1997

ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR. Congress of tfte ®mteb States Jbouse of feepi'tsentatmes 24List)mgton, SC 20515-2002 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Richard Cross March 24, 1997 202-225-3061 (410) 780-3911 STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN EHRLICH REGARDING CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION CHINA VISIT “In January, I participated in a 21 -member bipartisan congressional delegation visit to the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong. The trip was useful in several respects.” “First, fostering good relations with the People’s Republic of China is vitally important to our nation’s economic and military security. China remains our largest remaining Communist adversary. There are many important issues pending in Congress — China’s membership in the World Trade Organization; intellectual property rights; human rights concerns; and the future of China’s ‘Most Favored Nation’ (MFN) trading status — which directly impact U. S. - Sino relations. “I have been critical of China’s record on many issues. In fact I was one of a minority of House Republicans who opposed extending China’s MFN status during the 104th Congress. During the trip, I participated in meetings with high-level Chinese officials. This gave me the valuable opportunity to personally raise my concerns to Chinese leaders. “Second, trade opportunities in China can translate into jobs here at home. The Chinese economy is growing at the staggering rate of more than ten percent annually, making it the fastest growing economic superpower in the world. Forty percent of China’s Gross National Product (GNP) is in trade — a percentage higher than that of Japan or the United States. The EO ON RECYCLED PAPER