*EPF409 03/16/00
Gephardt Describes Work With Administration on China Trade Bill
(He seeks trade agreement compliance, pressure on rights) (510)
By Bruce Odessey
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- The Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives says he is working with the Clinton administration to fashion legislation on granting China permanent normal trade relations (PNTR).

Talking to reporters at the Capitol March 16, Representative Richard Gephardt of Missouri said he wanted legislation that would press China to comply with trade agreements and improve its human rights record while granting it PNTR.

"My constituents will know well in advance of this vote where I'm going to vote and what I'm going to do," Gephardt said.

He indicated he would not press fellow Democrats one way or the other. "I don't twist arms on most bills, and certainly on trade bills," he said. Nevertheless, given his position as House minority leader, his decision would likely sway some Democrats' votes.

Clinton administration officials have said both sides in the House now lack the votes to prevail in the bitter fight over China PNTR. Many members of Congress, including Gephardt, view the November U.S.-China agreement on China's World Trade Organization (WTO) accession as good for U.S. exporters.

But many also object to making normal trade relations (NTR) permanent because of China's human rights record and threats against Taiwan. Under existing law, the president extends NTR, also called most-favored nation (MFN) status, in June every year, giving congressional opponents opportunity to overturn the decision.

Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert said earlier in the week that he would not bring the PNTR legislation to a vote in the House until the administration lines up votes from about 100 House Democrats. The House has 435 members.

Representative David Bonior, the No. 2 House Democratic leader and a firm opponent of PNTR, has said he counts at least 128 of the House's 211 Democrats against it.

Gephardt said the legislative proposal he is trying to work out with the administration would provide a more systematic way to keep pressure on China to comply with existing trade agreements as well as new WTO obligations. He said it would enforce non-compliance with the use of trade sanctions.

"That's what I'm trying to do in this case and will continue to try to do," Gephardt said. "I appreciate the administration and others trying to help figure this out, if it can be done. I don't know if it can be done."

He said the proposal would also devise another way to keep pressure on China to improve its human rights performance in place of the annual NTR fight in Congress. And he said it might include a code of conduct for U.S. business operating in China.

"We're trying to build a world trading system that works for everybody," Gephardt said. "We've never done this before .... This is hard to do."

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: usinfo.state.gov)
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