A BUSINESS mission headed by the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce is to lobby Washington for the renewal of China's Most Favoured Nation trade status (MFN) for the first time since the inauguration of President Bill Clinton.
Analysts are concerned the delegation will meet with much opposition from the Clinton administration and Congress in the face of China's much-publicised opposition to Governor Chris Patten's democratic reform package.
The issue is being complicated by Beijing's warning that the political wrangle could adversely affect trade relations with the UK, while at the same time claiming that MFN is not a political issue.
But the leader of the mission, chamber chairman Paul Cheng Ming-fun, said the delegation would avoid political issues even if they were brought up by the US.
''We're not qualified to talk about anything beyond trade,'' said Mr Cheng, adding that the chamber would also encourage Mr Patten to focus on trade issues when he visits the US.
Mr Cheng said his delegation would call for the US administration to resist linking non-trade issues with the renewal of MFN.
