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The complexity and the interconnectedness of these
issues make it a thorny problem for the United States. In addition,
the U.S. must use its influence on the world stage to leverage what
pressure it can upon China to improve its abysmal record on human
rights abuses. In all of these areas of concern we must show clarity
and resolution in our policy with respect to China.
In many respects we have formed an unhealthy dependence upon China
as a trade partner and a nation with the capacity to buy up large
portions of the U.S. debt does diminish our ability to put any
effective pressure upon China to pursue economic policies that might
be beneficial to U.S. economic interests in the long run. We have
realized this most recently with China’s manipulation of its
currency in order to upset the trade balance between the two
nations.
China has also demonstrated an unwillingness to cooperate with the
U.S. in terms of its respect and protection of intellectual property
rights. Evidence also suggests that recent experiences with computer
database hacking that have involved both corporate and governmental
interests originated from China. In an increasingly globalized
economy through which major financial transactions are conducted
electronically, this type of manipulation of electronic
communications is especially perplexing. We must consider the use of
economic sanctions if these practices continue.
China has shown clearly aggressive tendencies on several fronts in
recent decades. There has been a noticeable shift in China’s defense
spending as the nation has begun to invest more in the building of
aircraft carriers. In addition, the creation of a series of
artificial islands in the China Sea have resulted in China’s attempt
to extend its territorial waters space far beyond what is recognized
by international law. The creation of military-standard landing
strips for aircraft on these artificial islands clearly suggests the
larger purpose for which these front-line outposts have been
created. The U.S. maintains a treaty obligation to protect Taiwan,
and any increase in militarism in the South China Sea must be a
cause for concern on our part. With regard to these concerns we must
clarify our position with respect to China and make clear that the
U.S. stands by its treaty obligations in the world. [to
top of second column] |
The aforementioned concerns have limited to some
degree the pressure that the U.S. can bring to bear upon the record
of human rights abuses that occur in China. The persistence of
sweatshop labor—often finding its way into manufactured goods that
enter the U.S.—is a problem as is the continuation of the notorious
laogai prison system (the Chinese equivalent of the old Soviet
gulags). It becomes difficult to use the moral weight of the nation
to challenge China on these points when the tenuous circumstances of
economic and foreign policy with respect to that nation are in a
state of flux.
Past related
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[Text from file received] |
