Trading boost
Some rare good news on the China front has emerged from the U.S. Senate, where an agreement apparently has been reached to hold a vote this month on the stalled trade bill granting the mainland permanent normal trade relations, or PNTR.
If it passes as expected, China then would enjoy the same access to the vital American market as any other member of the World Trade Organization.
The vote has been a long time coming. Senate Republican leaders have been using Byzantine delaying procedures even at the risk of sabotaging the bill while they seek short-term political gains at Democratic expense as the presidential ballot draws near.
They have talked about postponing it until September or later, forcing candidate Al Gore to make an embarrassing pre-election choice between a trade measure he favors or the votes of its trade union opponents, which he needs.
To complicate things, some senators from both parties have tried to attach amendments requiring the White House to order trade sanctions against China for alleged exports of missile technology. Any amendment would send the entire measure back to the House for another vote in that chamber, putting the whole thing in jeopardy.
None of this has much to do with the bill's merits, but relevance often doesn't matter at election time. Neither does the fact that the search for tactical gains could seriously damage strategic American interests, namely better political and commercial relations with China. Thinking ahead is not always important in Congressional politics.
Despite this, leaders of both parties got together with White House officials this week and seemingly agreed to act before the Senate takes its summer break. At least, that's what the Democrats say; Senate Republican leader Trent Lott promises only that the bill will pass, but without saying when.
However, his Democratic colleagues claim he has promised a July ballot. The sanctions measure may get added to another bill and could disappear allowing some China-bashers to make their gesture without forcing unwise action by the US Government.
It all sounds complex, even senseless, but it is the best news on the subject for many weeks.
-- The South China Morning Post, Hong Kong