REMARKS BY CLARK RANDT, JR.,

TO BE AMBASSADOR TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA,

AT THE HEARING OF THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE

June 27, 2001

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Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am deeply honored to have this opportunity to appear before you this morning as the president's nominee to be the next ambassador to the People's Republic of China. I am grateful for and humbled by the president's confidence and trust in me as reflected in his nomination of me to this critical position at this crucial time for our complex and important relationship with China.

I have but one regret today, and that is that my late father cannot be here. When I was going off to college in 1964, he advised me to study Chinese. He said that Chinese constitute one-quarter of mankind and will surely become an important force on the world scene in my lifetime. Being a teenager and, by definition therefore, being more knowledgeable than my dad, I ignored his advice and studied English literature. The United States Air Force, however, in 1968 gave me another chance and I took it. I studied Chinese for one year at the Defense Language Institute and spent 2-1/2 years stationed in Taiwan. Over the years, I have made several trips to Taiwan and witnessed first- hand its stunning transformation from martial law to a robust democracy.

I first visited the Mainland in 1974 for six weeks. At that time, the cultural revolution was in full swing and ordinary citizens fled from me for fear that they would be arrested simply for talking to a foreigner. There were no laws, other than Chairman Mao and the Communist Party. Beijing's broad boulevards were mostly empty, except for the teaming bicycle lanes, and in early winter the street corners were piled with cabbage; in early summer, watermelons.

China has come a long way, but much remains to be done. Like any other member of the community of nations, China must earn the respect of its peers not by mere words, but by deeds.

I have, Mr. Chairman, spent my adult life preparing for this assignment in the Air Force, as China representative of the U.S.-China Business Council, as first secretary and commercial attaché at our embassy in Beijing, and for more than 25 years as a lawyer and negotiator in China.

If confirmed, I shall employ my experience and skills to implement the president's policy and work towards relations that advance our national interests and our core values, such as religious freedom, human rights, and the rule of law. As the president has said, we have different values yet common interests in the world. I will always stand squarely for American interests and American values, and these will, no doubt, sometimes cause disagreements with China. Yet I will approach our differences with a spirit of respect.

We will engage and cooperate with China where we can, and compete with or oppose China where we must. As Secretary Powell said, "We will treat China as she merits. A strategic partner China is not, but neither is China our inevitable or implacable foe. China is a competitor and a potential regional rival, but also a trading partner willing to cooperate in areas such as Korea, where our strategic interests overlap." China is all of these things, but China is not an enemy, and our challenge is to keep it that way.

Trade and engagement must not come at the expense of our national security or of our core values that are our greatest source of national strength. As you, Mr. Chairman, yourself have said, "Our engagement must be rooted in four fundamental principles: clarity, consistency, pragmatism and accountability." If confirmed, I shall keep these principles in mind as we prepare for the president's important visit to China in October.

As the president has plainly articulated, we insist on a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue and do not support a declaration of independence by Taiwan.

Our consistent position, based on the Taiwan Relations Act and the three communiqués, is that there is but one China. It must be clear that we will honor our commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act.

As part of the confirmation process, I've had the privilege to meet some of the members of this committee and their respective staffs. If confirmed, I will certainly need to draw upon your wisdom and experience, and pledge to you that I will regularly consult with Congress. And if confirmed, I very much hope that I will have the privilege of hosting each of you and your staffs in Beijing. If confirmed, I shall do my utmost to vindicate the faith reposed in me by the president and the Senate.

Thank you for this opportunity, and I would be pleased and honored to respond to any questions that you might have.

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