Senate Votes on Historic China Trade Bill

W A S H I N G T O N, Sept. 19 -- The Senate today approved permanentnormal trade status for China, marking a turning point in ahalf-century of stormy relations between the world’s strongestpower and the most-populous nation.

The 83-15 vote effectively ends the annual debate over whethertrade should be used as a tool to sanction China’s communistgovernment for its weapons and human rights policies. It also setsthe stage for Chinese market-opening measures that could meanbillions of dollars in new business for American manufacturers andfarmers.

U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky said the vote was“as important as any on China since 1972, with the opening ofChina.” She said it marked a “historic milepost” in the rockyrelations that have existed since Mao Tse-tung brought thecommunists to power in 1949.

The bill now goes to President Clinton for his signature.

‘A Defining Moment’

Sen. William Roth, R-Del., chairman of the Finance Committee,called the vote “a defining moment in the history of this chamberand in the history of our country.”

Not only will it open new business opportunities, he said, itwill help “in meeting what is likely to be our single greatestforeign policy challenge in the coming decades, managing ourrelations with a rising China.”

The legislation, the most important trade bill since the 1993North American Free Trade Agreement, enjoyed the potent backing ofClinton, the congressional Republican leadership and the nation’smajor business and agriculture groups. Both presidentialcandidates, Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush,support permanent trade.

“It represents the most significant opportunity that we havehad to create positive change in China since the 1970s, whenPresident Nixon first went there and later in the decade whenPresident Carter normalized relations,” Clinton said in a speechearlier this year.

It has been opposed by labor, human rights and conservativegroups who say it is wrong to give up the annual review of Chinatrade that since the 1989 crackdown on the Tiananmen studentmovement has given lawmakers a way to highlight China’s weaponsproliferation and persecution of its citizens.