China-us Human Rights And Mfn (1980-1994)

This article consists of three parts: preface, main body, and conclusion. The preface: First, the range of research of the article is defined. A policy of the Bush Administration and in the first two years of the Clinton Administration is studied in this article—the policy that the most-favored-nation treatment should be given to China on condition of improvement of the situation of human rights in China. Their aim is to compel China to give in with regard to problems of human rights. Then the research work is reviewed concerning problems of human rights both in China and in the U.S. of America, and problems of most-favored-nation treatment. Lastly, the content of this article is introduced and the significance of the selection of subject described.The main body of the article is divided into three sections. In the first section, the situation of the above-mentioned problems and their historical reasons are represented. The author points out that between China and America there do exist problems of human rights, but they were only "minor details" in Sino-American relationship; the problems of most-favored-nation treatment also exist, but before the year 1989 they had not been significant problems in Sino-American relations and in domestic politics of America. Moreover, at that time the problems in the two fields did not overlap with each other.The second section describes the problems of human rights and those of most-favored-nation treatment during the rule of the Bush Administration. First, human rights sanctions and most-favored-nation treatment are discussed. The dispute between President Bush and the Congress after the Tian an men square demostrations is analyzed. The Congress insisted on conditioning most-favored-nation treatment upon human rights situation of China, while Bush held the opposite position. Then during the three times of annual deliberation in the years of 1990-1992, the Congress attempted to through legislation condition its offer of most-favored-nation treatment on situation of human rights of China. Bush made efforts and managed to keep this treatment to China to continue.The third section introduces the "hook" and "unhook" between the most-favored-nation treatment and the problem of human rights during the years of1993-1994 of the Clinton Administration. First, the hook policy and its causes are illustrated. The declaration of Administrative Order marked the hook of most-favored-nation treatment and problems of human rights. When Clinton came to power, he issued Administrative Order on May .28, 1993, conditioning the prolongation of most-favored-nation treatment upon situation of human rights of China. The following factors contributed to this policy: the restraint of the promise Clinton had made during the campaign, the influence of his concept of value and belief, the inadequacy of his diplomatic knowledge, the instigation of the extremists in Congress, and his wrong estimation of the world situation and Sino-American relationship at that time. Then, the "unhook" policy and its causes are related. Due to irreconcilable contradiction of the unhook policy itself, strong protest from the business world, the educational circle, the government and members inside the Congress, efforts made by the Chinese government, appeal from other countries, and recognition of Clinton himself about the damage of the policy, Clinton declared his decision of unhook policy on May 26, 1994, marking the end of the policy of "hook" the most-favored-nation treatment to China with the problems of human rights.The closing part of the article gives two conclusions:First, the problem of human rights is a political one, and can only be improved through political talks, and can not be completely solved. This problem will exist for a long time, but it is reflected in different forms in different periods.Second, trading is the basis of connection between China and America, and disputes concerning trading exist all the time, but carry different weight in different periods, and the trading relations will never break despite conflicts. What will cause the end of the trading relations is the ending of most-favored-nation treatment. The attempt of the US government to compel China to give in in respect of human rights by means of trading problems is destined to fail.