President Clinton extended China's Most Favoured Nation (MFN) trading status this morning, setting in motion another showdown with the US Congress over his Beijing policy.
Announcing his move, Mr Clinton said granting China normal trading privileges for one more year was 'clearly in our nation's interest' and essential if an increasingly powerful Beijing was not to be isolated.
'Trade is an important part of our relationship with China . . . supporting over 170,000 jobs,' he said.
'But just as important, trade is a force for change in China, exposing China to our ideas and our ideals and integrating China into the global economy. For these reasons I intend to renew MFN status for China.' Mr Clinton said the US would continue to press China on human rights.
'There have clearly been some concrete results as a result of this engagement as well,' he said.
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stood by the President on the MFN issue as she prepared to fly to Geneva to join talks with China and other UN Security Council members on the nuclear crisis in South Asia.
Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan will represent China in the talks.
