It is time for the United States to take a more active role in opposing Chinas violation of basic human rights and in supporting greater freedom for the longsuffering Chinese people. The first step. proposed today by Senator MITCHELL. is to condition the renewal of Chinas MFN trading status upon a determination by the President that the Government of China is honoring internationally recognized standards of human rights. ending unfair trade practices against the United States. and demonstrating good faith participation in international efforts to control the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In order to renew Chinas MFN status. the President is required by law to certify to Congress by June 3 that China grants its citizens "the right or opportunity to emigrate." President Bush will be hard pressed to make the case that China permits free emigration. when thousands of its citizens are detained in jail and the State Department itself reports that the Government restricts foreign travel. Since the Tiananmen Square massacre the Chinese Government has imposed new. even tighter. emigration restrictions. designed to ensure that only the most politically reliable individuals with a history of cooperation with the party are permitted to travel abroad. One of these new measures requires citizens seeking to leave the country to obtain an exit visa. This step clearly targets the Chinese democracy movement. Applications for exit permission are submitted to the security bureau of the national policethe Chinese equivalent of the Soviet KGB.
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emigrate emigration visa