China-Trade & Treatment of Dissidents

Jillian Holloway

Most Favored Nation (MFN) List

AKA National Trade Relations

• A status that is given to one nation in International Trade by the World Trade Organizations

• Provides an equal opportunity for all countries, big and small

• For Example "All countries that have MFN status will pay no more than a $1 duty to export televisions to the United States. If the United States later negotiates a duty of 75¢ with Japan for imported televisions, Indonesia and all other MFN countries will pay 75¢, despite Indonesia's original agreement to pay more duty.”

MFN HISTORY• A move from Protective

Tariffs to Free Trade in the beginning of the 20th Century

• Protects countries from discrimination that comes along with Free Trade

• Started with Jay’s Treaty in 1794

• …and the Open Door Policy of China

• Was enacted in 1934

China’s Most Favored Nation Status Background

• The Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1951 suspended the MFN status of the Soviet Union and affiliates

• After the Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1951 was passed, the MFN status of China was suspended

• Restored in 1974 with the Trade Act of 1974

Tiananmen Square Protests

• The protests were led by student and intellectuals

• Started with the death of Hu Yaobang, a pro-democracy official

• 100,000 people attended the funeral• Lasted seven weeks

Tiananmen Square Massacre

• June 4, 1989 Beijing• Chinese government’s reaction to protest• Several Hundred protesters and soldiers were

killed and over 7,000 people were wounded

Consequences

• A cancellation of China’s MFN was threatened by Congress three times in the early 1990’s.

• President Bill Clinton renewed MFN status with China despite of Congress’ feelings.

• Human Rights Conditions were set against China

Dissidents

• People who disagree with a government or powerful organization such as the students in The Tiananmen Square Incident

Treatment of Chinese Dissidents

• Many Chinese Political Activists were detained or exiled for their pro-democracy views.

Recently,…

• Zhou Yongjun, a man that was very active during the Tiananmen Incident, was arrested

• Yang Jianli was refused entry into China

My Advice To President Obama

• I think the United States should defend the rights of the many Chinese Dissidents held in Prison for their democratic beliefs. Through peaceful negotiations and incentives with and for the Chinese government, The United States of America should help free these people and prevent another Tiananmen Incident in the future.

Bibliography

• http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Most-Favored-Nation+Status

• http://law.jrank.org/pages/8660/Most-Favored-Nation-Status.html

• http://www.fas.org/man/crs/92-094.htm• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Squ

are_protests_of_1989• http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.ph

p?pid=46632• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews

/asia/china/5317674/Tiananmen-dissident-arrested-in-China.html