POINT Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., said "Human rights abuses are on the rise, Chinese companies continue to steal America’s intellectual property rights, military spending is increasing and anti- American sentiment is rising throughout China. ...but by granting "Most Favored Nation" status to China,... It is, in simple terms, the American seal of approval. "It would be an extreme position to advocate ceasing trade with China. It is likewise extreme to advocate doing nothing in the face of China’s abuses. These two extremes are not the only alternatives. We can still maintain trade with China but with a less favorable status -- this creates an economic incentive for China to improve. By granting China MFN status, there is no added incentive for China to improve and we have no bargaining power beyond maybe not granting MFN next year. The proposal to grant permanent MFN status to China would simply remove a potential economic incentive," said Valli Sharpe-Geisler "We have no evidence that China has done anything to warrant this favored treatment which will give them a 2 percent tariff level on goods into our market, while they maintain a 30 percent to 40 percent tariff against our goods," says Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio. Click here for Representative Kaptur's floor speech to the U.S. House of Representatives on this issue.

COUNTER-POINT Bill Archer, R-Tex., said "Our presence in China puts us in the best position to influence the Chinese government concerning sensitive issues in the region including North Korea... There is no doubt that the relationship between the U.S. and China is troubled. However, the solution is not to walk away. Instead we should maintain free and open trade." "Cutting off MFN would clearly hurt the United States. ... We need to recognize that the single most powerful force for change is the one that my party stands strongly for, and that is the free market. We believe very strongly in the free market and the power of it. It is more powerful than any U.S. Government coercion that we could possibly apply. ...To disengage would be preposterous. The United States of America is the third most populous Nation on the face of the Earth. Yet the People’s Republic of China has almost five times the population of the United States" said David Dreier, R-CA. Click here for Representative Dreier's floor speech to the U.S. House of Representatives on this issue." Robert Matsui, D-CA said "Over the next quarter century it is going to be the single most important relationship that we have. It is very important that we maintain those ties. Click here to review the results of a House vote on MFN for China.