Locals discuss Clinton visit, China deal

By GUY PRIEL

Journal Staff Writer

SHAKOPEE -- Although President Bill Clinton cancelled his visit to New Ulm in favor of a metro location, about 20 New Ulm area residents drove to the Hauer family farm in Shakopee to hear his proposal to promote trade with China.

The subject of the talk focused on allowing China into the World Trade Organization permanently, in an attempt to lower tariffs and promote normal trade relations.

China, which contains 1.3 billion people, is one of the largest markets for soybeans, which can greatly benefit Minnesota farmers, Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman said.

"Farmers are going broke, yet we have economic prosperity in this country," U.S. Congressman David Minge, DFL-Minn. said. "This is a sad situation for farmers and it is not right."

Something needs to be done to turn the situation around, and trade is the key to accomplishing that. Human rights are important, but so is trade, he said.

"I have to apologize to New Ulm and I'll have to take a rain check," Clinton said during his opening remarks. "I was originally scheduled to visit there, but had to return to work earlier than I expected, so the timing was wrong."

He praised Ventura as the only sitting governor to attend a recent event in Washington, D.C., and praised Former Vice President Walter Mondale, who was in attendance.

"Early settlers of this region traded furs with China, so this is not a new situation," Clinton said. "If we allow China into the WTO, the largest benefit will be to the agriculture sector. Minnesota is seventh in the nation in agricultural imports."

If China is allowed to join, then the other members will have to treat China like a member, and they will have to follow the international rules of trade, he said.

"China will grow, no matter what we do, so the question we need to be asking is are we willing to give up the annual review process by letting them join permanently?" he said.

"This is an easy decision," Clinton said. "If we turn our backs, we will spend 20 years paying for it. It's a pretty clear issue."

This is a good economic deal and is an important national security issue that will help build a future for Americans, he said.

"It is my experience that you get more cooperation from shaking hands than you do from shaking fists," he said. "This is not a foregone conclusion."

The fact that Clinton mentioned New Ulm was a very special event, and it was good that New Ulm people were well represented in the crowd, Jeannine McKenna of New Ulm said, not speaking on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce.

"I definitely support what is being proposed, and believe everyone will benefit from this," Tim Waibel of rural New Ulm said. "This will be a definite benefit to Minnesota, because trade will increase our tax base."

It is impossible to control everything that goes on in other countries, and there are concerns with human rights issues, but things can't change overnight, he said.

"This was a once-in-a-lifetime event for me," he said. "I got to shake the President's hand, and I never thought I would have that opportunity."

This was a historic event, because it is the only time a sitting president has ever visited a working farm in Minnesota, Wayne Schoper of New Ulm said.

"It's pretty amazing that he came to Minnesota to discuss this," he said. "He sold me on the idea of trade with China. What do we have to lose? It will open new markets for all of us."

The market in China is ripe for pork and soybeans, which will benefit Minnesota and Brown County, and there seems to be a lot of support for the issue, Richard Trebesch of rural Sleepy Eye said.

"I'm not really sure I understand the issue all that well, but we did get some good plugs for New Ulm from Clinton and Minge," Mark Furth of New Ulm said. "There was a very rural group present and the response seemed to be very enthusiastic."

The basic premise provides a win-win deal and it can't go wrong. The biggest surprise was that it is not a trade agreement, as has been mentioned, but just a way to open permanent trade relations, he said.

"One concern I have in all this is that this is another step in the direction that has become the national agriculture policy, which says we can produce our way to prosperity and sell the excess," Furth said. "there is not much doubt in my mind that China is a potential exporter and will benefit us all."