WASHINGTON,
DC (April 22, 2004) - Just one month
prior to the release of their annual Report to Congress,
the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the U.S.-China Economic
and Security Review Commission today offered testimony
to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee outlining
key economic and security issues impacting bilateral
relations between the U.S. and China. Commission Chairman
Roger W. Robinson, Jr. and Vice-Chairman C. Richard
D'Amato presented their concerns to the Committee on
imbalances in U.S.-China trade relations, heightened
tensions in cross-Strait relations, China's recent
moves to limit Hong Kong's autonomy, and China's role
in seeking resolution of the North Korea nuclear crisis.
"In sum, we believe that a number
of the current trends in U.S. - China relations have potential
negative implications for our long-term economic and national
security interests," said the Chairman and Vice-Chairman
in their joint statement. "Therefore, U.S. policies
in these areas are in need of urgent attention and course
corrections."
"The United States has played -
and continues to play - an enormous role in the economic
and technological development of China," stated the
Chairman and Vice-Chairman. "As we have documented
through our hearings and reports, U.S. trade, investment,
and technology flows have been the critical factor in China's
rise as an economic power. We need to use the substantial
leverage this provides us to develop an architecture that
advances both countries' long-term interests."
The hearing takes place the day after
high-level trade talks between the U.S. and China concluded
in Washington, where the Chinese side made commitments
to improve protection of intellectual property rights and
to not move forward with a restrictive standard that would
have been a barrier to U.S. wireless goods. Commenting
on the talks in his oral remarks to the Committee, Chairman
Robinson stated: "Time will tell whether these commitments
will be fulfilled. We have too often seen China's trade
promises - particularly on IPR - be worth no more than
the paper they're written on. We are also concerned that
several vital issues in U.S.-China trade - including China's
currency and subsidies policies - were not on the table."
Established in 2000, the bipartisan Commission
was created to investigate, evaluate and provide recommendations
to Congress on the national security implications of the
bilateral trade and economic relationship between the U.S.
and China. The Commission will deliver its 2004 Report
to Congress in mid-May. |
