Rep. Ben Cardin on Thursday accused China of “continued denial of basic international labor standards” and, along with a prominent conservative Republican, Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, asked the U.S. trade representative to investigate its practices.
Cardin, D-3rd, is a longtime advocate for human-rights issues, particularly in China, but his action drew a quick attack from the Maryland Republican Party, which said the congressman “says one thing, does another” because in 2000 he voted to approve permanent normal trade relations with China.
“They?re absolutely, totally wrong on this,” Cardin shot back. “They don?t understand what they?re talking about.”
Cardin is the ranking Democrat on the Trade Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, and a candidate for U.S. Senate.
“China?s persistent denial of basic working rights is a direct violation of international trades rules, providing them with an unfair trading advantage,” Cardin said.
Cardin and Smith ? vice chairman of the International Relations Committee, who has sponsored key human rights laws ? asked the U.S. to give the Chinese government and companies “positive economic incentives” to comply with labor standards and to negotiate a binding agreement to comply. They also want President Bush to implement rules to require U.S. corporations to disclose wages and working conditions at their plants and those of their contractors in China.
AFL-CIO leaders backed the petition by Cardin and Smith.
The state GOP said the normalization of trade relations ended the annual review of China?s human rights record. But Cardin said the legislation actually established “systematic review” of human rights and labor conditions. Before that, “there was no review.”
The vote to permanently normalize trade with China, allowing it to join the World Trade Organization, sharply divided both parties. Then-Congressman Robert Ehrlich, who had often voted with Cardin against China trade in previous years because of its human rights record, opposed permanent trade. This put him at odds with the Republican leadership, including House Speaker Dennis Hastert, then-Majority Leader Tom DeLay, and current Majority Leader John Boehner.
Among Democrats, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland favored the permanent trade agreement. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi opposed.
