Speech #930209633

I would suggest that it may be important to recognize a degree of evenhandedness in our relations with the Peoples Republic of China and the Soviet Union. As the majority leader knows. we have pending before the Senate. in the Committee on Finance. a very important trade billa trade bill which. when it is voted upon. may decide whether mostfavorednation status will be accorded the Soviet Union. As much as I deplore some of the policies that prevail in the Soviet Union. particularly with regard to emigration. I suggest that it will be a bit difficult to overlook completely similar policies in effect within the Peoples Republic of China. that Is. if we are to be evenhanded in our consideration of this issue. I note with some regret that a large percentage of Members of the U.S. Senate have cosponsored the socalled Jackson amendment which would deny mostfavorednation status to the Soviet Union. because. as is certainly the case. we do not believe the emigration policies of the Soviet Union are as liberal as we would like. But if we were to be consistent in our policyif we were to attach a similar condition to the proposal advanced by the distinguished major leaderthat mostfavorednation status be for the Peoples Republic of China--then I am afraid his proposal would probably go "down the drain." It seems to me that we must view this issue in the context of our total policy. and not as an isolated and unrelated matter. The decision we ultimately reach with respect to the socalled Jackson amendment. as It affects mostfavorednation status for the Soviet Union will surely have an important bearing on whether we should take the most important step suggested this morning by the majority leader with regard to the Peoples Republic of China.