Rep. Tom Tiffany says it was a mistake for China to have been given favored nation status

Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., on Wednesday said that it was a mistake to give China favored nation status over two decades ago. 

"We said 25 years ago in Congress that, 'we're going to treat you as we do other democracies around the world, and that you're going to be a good actor as you go forward, and we're going to recognize that permanently,'" Tiffany said on the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show. "That was clearly a mistake on our part."

In May 2000, Congress approved Permanent Normal Trade Relations for China, which granted the country Normal Trade Relations (NTR) status. 

Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status ensures that a country won't be treated unfairly when it comes to tariffs. 

"We're seeing repeatedly where China is abusing our good nature here in America and our open society, where it sounds like this pathogen...could be very harmful," Tiffany said. 

Tiffany and Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., introduced legislation in 2023 to get rid of the U.S.'s "One China" policy and normalize trade more with Taiwan. 

“Taiwan has never been under the control of the People’s Republic of China – not even for a single day," Tiffany said in a statement. "It is a free, democratic, and independent nation, and it is past time for U.S. policy to reflect this undeniable objective truth."