U.S. Press Applauds Clinton's Trade Bill With China

The New York Times and The Journal of Commerce, two well-known newspapers in the United States, published editorials respectively Friday, rendering strongsupport for President Bill Clinton in his bid to win an early congressional approval of permanent trading status with China.

The U.S. Congress should "quickly approve legislation needed to smooth China's admission to the World Trade Organization" (WTO) and grant the country normal trading status "on a permanent basis," The New York Times' editorial said.

The editorial, entitled "A Good Deal With China," criticized some Congressmen for having used the annual debates over China's trade privileges to challenge Beijing's human rights record and other offensive behavior in the past years.

"Linking these issues to trade made no obvious sense and produced scant results," said the editorial, which came out just after President Clinton sent to Congress Wednesday a piece of legislation pleading for Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with China.

"What President Clinton seeks from Congress is a change in China's trade status under American law," the editorial said.

It said that Senate approval of the needed changes in trade law "seems likely," but the outlook in the House is "less promising," where "at least 20 more Democratic votes are needed."

But the editorial said neither the Taiwan issue nor labor's misplaced opposition should hold up an early, positive vote, since"the China trade bill serves broad American interests and deserves strong bipartisan support."

The Journal of Commerce echoed the comment, describing in its own editorial President Clinton's proposed legislation as "a powerful case" which the Capitol Hill should heed attentively.

The editorial, entitled "Pass the China Bill," warned that Congressional short-sightedness on the WTO and PNTR issue will cost the United States an economic opportunity provided by an agreement reached between Washington and Beijing last November, under which China pledged to open its market to U.S. goods and investments.

"China's accession to the WTO isn't up to Congress," the editorial said. "If Congress fails to grant China permanent NTR status, it won't stop China from becoming a member of the WTO. What it will do is stop the United States from benefiting from China's (WTO) membership.

"China won't be obligated to open its market to the United States even as it opens up to other countries in the WTO. And that will hurt the United States -- whose own market is already largely open -- far more than it will hurt China," the editorial said.

It advised Congress to "listen" to the president and "move swiftly" to approve China PNTR so that the United States may continue its trade with China and gain benefits from the process.

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