Rohrabacher, Cox Agree on Trade Battle, but Not Tactics

They are both conservative Republicans from Orange County. They even worked together in Ronald Reagan’s White House.

But when Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Huntington Beach and Christopher Cox of Newport Beach take their positions on the House floor today to lead the debate on China’s trade status with the United States, there will be no confusing their legislative and political styles.

Rohrabacher, a self-proclaimed “freedom fighter” and democracy seeker, will lead the effort to withhold most-favored-nation status from China as punishment for human rights violations and threats of military attacks on Taiwan.

“China has gobbled up every economic carrot we’ve offered and their behavior hasn’t improved one bit. It’s time to kick this weasel out of the garden,” Rohrabacher said recently. “Deny MFN and we’ll have the undivided attention of China’s rulers.”

Cox, however, is a political pragmatist who considers it unlikely that Congress can reverse President Clinton’s decision to renew China’s trade status, which permits its products to enter the U.S. with low tariffs. Cox will lead debate on an alternative resolution calling for congressional hearings on Beijing’s alleged misdeeds, but not challenging MFN directly.

Cox’s approach seeks to punish China later, through legislation coming out of the hearings--perhaps in the form of a trade embargo on goods produced by the People’s Liberation Army.

“The debate over Communist China’s most-favored-nation trade status cannot bear the weight of the entire bilateral relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China,” Cox said.

Rohrabacher and Cox do not disagree on China. Both think China is a big bad bear and the U.S. should send a message to China disapproving of the Communists’ recent behavior, including providing Pakistan and Iran the tools to develop nuclear and chemical weapons, and failure to protect U.S. intellectual property.

The difference between the congressmen is in strategy.

Rohrabacher seeks to strike China with a machete; Cox is still sharpening the knives. Rohrabacher’s resolution is 10 lines long; Cox’s is nine pages.

Rohrabacher is to the point: “Disapproving the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment . . . to the products of the People’s Republic of China.” Cox details the human rights violations, trade barriers, weapons proliferation and other actions China has engaged in despite repeated protests from the U.S.

The differing approaches is a microcosm of the debate seething within the California delegation on the issue.

For example, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), whose district includes a large Asian population, is one of Rohrabacher’s strongest allies on this issue.

But other Californians, such as U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas), argue the human rights debate should be separate from the trade issue because of China’s economic and strategic importance.

Despite the united disapproval of China’s actions in recent months, the Rohrabacher resolution is expected to follow the course of other similar votes in past years and fail. Cox’s measure will then be introduced and debated.

And in all likelihood, aides said, both congressmen will vote for the other’s resolutions.