Business Interest Groups And The Fadeout Of Clinton’s Human Rights Diplomacy Against China

After the Cold War,China,the largest existing socialist country,became the new aim of the American human rights diplomacy.Clinton linked China’s Most Favored Nation（MFN）status with human rights issues,and Congress used human rights issues to obstruct the legislation of Permanent Normal Trade Relations（PNTR）for China.It arouses widespread concern in the academic world,but most of the research focuses on the whole event instead of discussing the reasons,methods,and achievements of the business interest groups solely.During the Clinton era,the U.S.threatened to put sanctions on China in exchange for compromise but failed because,the author found,the business interest groups partly helped push Clinton’s human rights diplomacy to an end.Firstly,the paper analyzes the reasons why the American business community opposed sanctions against China on the grounds of human rights: the expansion of the Chinese market and the enlargement of bilateral trade and investment made their commercial interest in China skyrocket.It then explains how the business community interest groups colluded with Congress and media to assert their influence,including hearings,political donations,and media propaganda.Finally,the paper analyzes the achievements of the business interest groups made on the MFN status and PNTR with China,proving that the business interest groups played a constructive role in the failure of the Clinton’s human rights diplomacy.The author compares with Trump’s current trade war against China,hoping to prove that the business interest groups can play a constructive role in forming the China policy of the United States.History demonstrates that sanctions and threats can never resolve disputes but intensify them.