Text: Albright Applauds House Vote on China PNTR
(Bill's passage was the right decision for America)

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright praised May 24 the passage of the bill granting China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) earlier that day.

"We still have much work to do toward the bill's final passage in the Senate," she added.

Following is the text of Secretary of State Albright's statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
(Florence, Italy)

May 24, 2000

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT

House of Representatives Vote on Normal Trade Relations with China

I would like to congratulate Members of the House of Representatives for the vote in favor of extending Permanent Normal Trade Relations to China. It was the right decision for America. It now goes to the Senate and with the right vote there, we will be able to enjoy the full benefits of the strong bilateral agreement we negotiated with China last November.

As important as this vote is to the economic well-being of America and to sustaining the economic growth that we have experienced these past eight years, it is just as important to our national security. China's WTO accession and the extension of PNTR to China will help lay the groundwork for building a constructive bilateral working relationship in years to come.

We still have much work to do toward the bill's passage in the Senate. I intend to continue working for a positive outcome there.

(end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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