Charles R. Smith
Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2004

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  The Kerry camp has issued no statement on the WMD export by China and continues to remain silent on an international issue of great importance. Kerry would rather talk about Vietnam 30 years ago than his much more recent senate record on WMD and China.

The missile technology was passed to Iran after Beijing issued a report in December 2003, pledging not to transfer weapons of mass destruction or missile delivery systems.

The Bush administration has imposed sanctions against China four times in three years for illegal arms transfers by Beijing. U.S. intelligence officials confirmed that China could face further economic sanctions for violating the arms control promises.

Kerry Opposed Sanctions

In contrast, John Kerry opposed sanctions against China even if it was caught selling weapons of mass destruction. On September 11, 2000, Senator Kerry spoke to the Senate, opposing an amendment to impose economic sanctions if China continued to sell advanced missile and nuclear technology to Iran.

"Let's say China were caught in some particular effort, and we were unsuccessful, and you wind up unilaterally imposing the sanction. Do you really believe that at that point you have made it more likely they are going to acknowledge it, at least in the near term, by suddenly putting up their hands and saying, OK, you caught us red-handed? No pun intended," quipped the Senator from Massachusetts.

"The fact is, you have a much greater opportunity of holding people accountable if you use diplomacy to allow people sufficient opportunity to back down or to find alternative forms of behavior," stated Kerry. Of course, Kerry did not recognize that a decade of diplomacy had not stopped China from selling arms to hostile powers. Furthermore, Kerry also opposed informing the U.S. public which Chinese companies violated arms control treaties because to do so might hurt the stock market.

"Companies named in the President's report will have to so inform investors, according to the requirements of this legislation. Supporters of the amendment argue that those provisions are simply to provide transparency for American investors in entities that are active in U.S. capital markets and involved in proliferation activities," stated Kerry.

"It will impose indirect sanctions against those entities included in the President's report that are publicly traded on stock markets," concluded the Senator.

WMD Sales to Iran "Progress"?

Kerry stated on the Senate floor on September 19, 2000 that he would vote for permanent favored (PNTR) trade status with China despite its violations of missile export treaties to Iran.

"We should not scuttle PNTR just to make a point - however valid - about China's continuing export of missile-related technology," stated Kerry.

"Today, our principal concern is Chinese exports in the area of missile-related technology - not complete missile systems - and to two countries: Pakistan and Iran. That, it seems to me, is progress, and progress made during a period of growing engagement between China and the international community," stated Kerry.

Kerry's idea of progress is clearly puzzling. Yet, the Kerry policy of "engagement" is a word that describes an entire class of U.S. politicians who support trade with China over any other concern. The reality of "engagement" is that it is actually a policy of appeasement. The engagement policy advocates, including Kerry, have for over a decade claimed that economic trade with China will pull it into the civilized world, reducing its WMD proliferation and its human rights abuses. Each year we have witnessed China engaged in yet another violation of nuclear or missile technology sales to its proxy states; Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Pakistan and North Korea.

The Kerry, Clinton and Carter camp of China apologists continue to scream "engagement" while China continues to sell WMD technology to hostile powers.

The recent evidence of WMD sales to Iran is not the first in the past year. The fact is that when Libya decided to drop its WMD programs it turned over its plans to make a nuclear bomb. Those Libyan blueprints were made in China.

U.S. Jobs to China A-OK

The China appeasers also scream "engagement" when China's horrible human and labor rights record threatens trade. John Kerry joined that appeasement chorus in September 2000, claiming it would actually help human and labor rights. In fact, Kerry supported the move of U.S. jobs to China under the favored trade act.

"I support PNTR and I intend to vote for it. I will admit to you that when I read recent press accounts of yet another crackdown on religious practitioners in China - this time members of a Christian sect called the China Fang-Cheng Church - and of the deaths of three Falung Gong members who have been imprisoned - I understood once more the temptation to reverse my position and vote against PNTR," said Kerry.

"But I am not going to do that Mr. President, because PNTR is not an effective tool for changing China's behavior at home or abroad - and as much as we detest the behavior in China with regard to religious freedom, it is not symbolic protest that will bring about change, but thoughtful approaches and a new and different kind of engagement -economic as well as diplomatic - that will leverage real change in China in the years ahead," noted Kerry.

"In China, workers cannot form or join unions and strikes are prohibited. There are no meaningful environmental standards and the prevalent use of forced labor make production in China extremely inexpensive. Because they cannot bargain collectively, Chinese workers are paid extremely low wages and are subject to unsafe working conditions," admitted Kerry.

"It is my hope and belief that as U.S. firms move into China, they will bring with internationally-accepted business practices that may actually raise labor and environmental standards in China. I also hope that they will provide opportunities for Chinese workers to move from state-owned to privately-owned companies, or from one private company to another, where the conditions are better. Engagement is a course best pursued by granting China Permanent Normal Trade Relations," concluded Kerry.

Engagement = Appeasement

The engagement buzzword hype that Kerry pushed in 2000 has failed. So far, China has not changed. Workers still cannot strike, bargain collectively or join unions. China, despite its WTO membership and the sacred trade treaties with the U.S., has not lightened up on its labor or human rights profile.

To illustrate my point I only have to cite a recent article published by Amnesty International. China recently arrested 18 Muslims for trying to form their own political party. Two of the Muslims leaders were executed; the rest have been sentenced to years in prison. That is "engagement" Chinese style.

Kerry's silence on these issues is only exceeded by his flip-flop politics. The DNC recently sponsored a series of ads stating that it was George Bush's fault that jobs had moved to China. George Bush, however, did not make China PNTR trade the official law of America - John Kerry did by voting yes.

Kerry spent only 30 seconds talking about his Senate record in a speech that lasted nearly an hour during the DNC convention. Today, Kerry would rather argue events of 30 years ago than his voting record four years ago.

Senator Kerry's policy of appeasement is favored in Beijing because the ruthless Chinese leaders know it will become U.S. policy if the Senator makes it into the White House.

RADIO AND TV SCHEDULE

Charles Smith will be on: The Jerry Hughes show on Friday, 8/27/4, at 3 p.m. Eastern time.Show information at http://www.cilamerica.com.

The Charlie Smith Show on the American Freedom Network on Friday, 8/30/4, at 11 a.m. Eastern time. Show information at http://www.americanewsnet.com/