The administration argues that the hardline elements in the Chinese leadership will be strengthened if we attach conditions to MFN. This argument overlooks two fundamental points: First. that unconditional MFN would simply lead the hardliners to believe that they have a free hand to pursue repressive policies without approbation. as they have done for the last 2 years since Tiananmen Square. and second. that conditions have already been attached to the extension of MFN to China. The JacksonVanik amendment requires China to comply with various conditions related to freedom of emigration in order to obtain MFN. The bilateral United StatesChina trade agreement negotiated by the Carter administration required China to fulfill certain economic preconditions before MFN was extended. So.
Keywords matched
emigration