Gorton Backs Blunt Talk Applauds Gingrich Style In Dealings With Chinese

Sen. Slade Gorton Wednesday praised Newt Gingrich’s blunt approach with Chinese officials, saying the House Speaker’s candor was far more likely to tear down trade barriers in the communist nation than the recent summit held by “mush-mouthed” Vice President Al Gore.

“The Clinton administration has spoken so softly that we end up looking weak,” the Washington Republican said during a meeting with 50 Inland Northwest agricultural leaders in Spokane. “Frankly, I was encouraged by the speaker’s comments.”

Gingrich, who followed Gore into the People’s Republic last week, surprised communist leaders by warning that the United States would defend an attack on Taiwan. He also lectured Chinese students that economic reforms would fail without political freedom.

Returning to Spokane as part of a three-day tour of the state’s agricultural industry, Gorton said the No. 1 priority for farmers was to open foreign markets.

But that doesn’t mean the United States should ignore China’s trade imbalance and unfair trade practices that block imported Northwest wheat and apples and wink at pirating Microsoft software products.

Gorton has been a long-time critic of China’s trade and human rights policies, despite the nation’s mega-contracts to buy Boeing Co. airplanes. Boeing officials have said they expect China to order $120 billion in aircraft during the next two decades.

Gorton said he and Boeing disagree on China’s trade policies.

The senator said he may vote this summer against an extension of China’s most-favored-nation trading status, which reduces import duties and makes Chinese goods more attractive to American consumers. He said his decision will depend in part on feedback from hundreds of businesses that have been trading with China, or are affected by the Chinese imports.

Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, has said she would vote to extend or permanently award most-favored trade status to China.

Against a backdrop listing his Top 10 priorities for agriculture, Gorton told members of the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council, Intermountain Grass Growers and other groups that he believes funding for Washington State University’s research center in Prosser will be restored. However, he was less optimistic about such federally backed research as the $350,000 club wheat breeding position at the university.

Mary Palmer Sullivan, administrator of the Washington Barley Commission, said farmers feel cheated by last year’s congressional promises to maintain equal levels of agricultural research in exchange for eliminating farm subsidies.

“Congress promised we’d be protected, but it (ag research) is already on the chopping block,” she said. “It just doesn’t seem to be a priority.”

Gorton listed “promoting agricultural research” as his sixth priority, behind opening foreign markets, abundant and available water, regulatory relief, stable labor supply and tax relief.

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