Clinton Signs Bill on PNTR with China

Clinton Signs Bill on PNTR With China

US President Bill Clinton signed a bill into law at the White House on Tuesday afternoon, granting permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status to China.

With the bill being signed into law by President Clinton, the United States will terminate its practice of reviewing China's "most-favored-nation (MFN)" status on an annual basis according to the relevant articles of the 1974 Trade Act and establish permanent normal trade relations with China after the latter joins the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The bill was adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives on May 24 this year by a vote of 237-197 after a heated debate, and passed overwhelmingly by the Senate on September 19 by a vote of

83-15.