Nancy Pelosi is taking a much more diplomatic approach to criticizing the Chinese now that she is House Speaker, and now that she and a congressional delegation are official guests of the nation.
The last time she was in China, in 1991, Pelosi had to flee from the police after unfurling a banner in Tiananmen Square dedicated to the student protesters whose demonstration was violently crushed by the military two years earlier. Human rights in China have been a top issue since she was elected to Congress in 1987.
Pelosi didn’t bring any banners to the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, where she spoke Monday morning.
Pelosi and several House Democrats and a House Republican are in China this week to talk climate change and energy reform. In addition to its atrocious human rights record, China is also one of the world’s leading pollutants, not to mention the main reason behind America’s massive trade deficit.
Pelosi took a soft approach on all of those topics, however. She told the chamber she was in China at the invitation of the Chinese government, which recently announced it would consider reducing its carbon emissions.
Pelosi said she would “continue to speak out for human rights in China” and that “protecting the environment is a human rights issue.”
Pelosi’s speech focused mostly on the environment and the massive energy bill that is churning through the House right now that would limit pollution through a cap and trade program.
She touched on China’s unfair trade practices and tainted products that end up on American store shelves.
“We know China’s low currency is making our exports to China more expensive then they would be without capital controls,” Pelosi said. “Little has been done to prevent the sale of pirated and counterfeit goods, as was promised as part of China’s accession to the World Trade Organization. Last, much more must be done to improve food and product safety inspections between our two countries.”
On Sunday, Pelosi visited with Catholic Bishop Jin Luxian to discuss “issues related to religious freedom in China,” her spokesman, Brendan Daly said. Jin is 93, was locked up by the Chinese government for 27 years for practicing his faith.
Later Monday, Pelosi and the delegation will meet with Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng to talk about steps the city has taken to “address the environmental challenges of the city.”
Pelosi on Monday also put out a statement about the announcement by the North Korean Government conducted a second nuclear missile test, saying the tests “underscore the message our congressional delegation planned to deliver to top Chinese government leaders during our meetings later this week that the Chinese must use their influence to help bring North Korea to the table for the Six Party Talks,” aimed at ending the country’s nuclear weapons program.
Pelosi said the tests in North Korea are “a clear violation” of United Nations rules and are “unacceptable and cause for great alarm.”
