GamesBids.com: U.S. Congress Avoids Confrontation With China

U.S. Congress Avoids Confrontation With China
================================================================================
TSG Staff on Wednesday, July 11, 2001  12:00am EDT
 
The U.S. Congress moved Tuesday to avoid confrontation with the Chinese
government over its bid to stage the Olympics and to continue normal trade
relations.
House Majority Leader Dick Armey, said it was unlikely the House would take up
a resolution opposing China's hosting of the Olympics in 2008.
He said he believed the IOC would not be influenced by a House vote against
China and added that if China won the Games it might be forced to treat its
citizens better because with international scrutiny, it "can't hide
transgressions against human rights".
Several members of Congress had made a final effort Tuesday to pass a
resolution opposing Beijing's bid.
Rep. Tom Lantos said China's deplorable human rights record violates the spirit
of the Games and likened the choice of Beijing to the 1936 Games held in Nazi
Germany and the 1980 Games in the Soviet Union.
He urged the House to approve the resolution, and said, "turning a blind eye to
the egregious human rights situation taking place every day in China does not
remove politics from the Olympics".
The Nazi Germany analogy was also made at a Ways and Means Committee hearing
where lawmakers urged the House to overturn President Bush's decision to extend
normal trade relations with China for another year.