March 14, 2000
Washington- The United States on Tuesday will release the full text of a trade liberalization accord it signed with China last November, a White House official said here. "The decision to release the agreement was made in consultation with the Chinese government," he added. The Clinton administration came under pressure from lawmakers last week to publish the full legal text ahead of a vote by Congress on an administration bill extending permanent normal trading relations (NTR) to China.
Previously, only summaries have been available to the general public, although members of Congress were authorized to read the text in a secured reading room at the US Capitol building. The US administration had withheld publication of the full text to avoid hampering China's bargaining position in similar negotiations with some of Beijing's other trading partners, notably the European Union.
But the administration official said release of the text now was not expected to affect the EU's bid to strike a similar deal with China. EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy's decision to go to Beijing on March 27 suggests significant progress has been made towards an accord, White House sources said.
The United States last November signed a landmark agreement with Beijing under which China made sweeping market-opening concessions to US exporters.
In exchange Washington agreed to support China's bid to join the WTO. But China made it clear that the deal depended on a Congressional vote to grant it normal trading relations -- similar to those enjoyed by all but a handful of countries that do business with the United States -- on a permanent basis.
At present China's trade privileges are reviewed annually by Congress. President Bill Clinton last week sent legislation to Congress that would give China permanent NTR but faces an uphill struggle to get it approved. The measure is opposed by organized labor, human rights groups and many lawmakers who want to retain the annual review. But the legislation is actively supported by big business, anxious to expand its penetration of the Chinese market.
The Business Coalition for US Trade on Monday hailed the decision to release the full text of the agreement. "Now the general public will be able to see what a terrific deal this is for America," said Calman Cohen, Coalition co-chairman.
"The text of the agreement contains page after page of concessions that will improve our access to China's huge market."
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