U.S. Official Visits Beijing to Discuss Ties : China: Items on the agenda include human rights, arms sales, bilateral trade and Cambodia.

Undersecretary of State Robert Kimmit arrived here Sunday for talks with Chinese leaders on relations that have deteriorated to their lowest level in nearly two years.

He is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Beijing since National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft’s trip in December, 1989.

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing said Kimmit will meet with Chinese officials today to discuss human rights, arms sales and bilateral trade, as well as the Middle East and Cambodia.

Sino-U.S. relations were shaken by China’s military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in June, 1989, which left hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people dead. Relations have soured further in recent months.

Kimmit’s two-day trip is just before the United States decides whether to extend China’s most-favored-nation trade status. President Bush must decide on the status--which allows Chinese imports into the United States at lowest possible tariffs--before June 3.

The special status is considered a cornerstone of Sino-U.S. relations, but there is growing pressure from Congress to revoke it to punish China for its human rights abuses.

In addition, the New York-based human rights group Asia Watch reported last month that Beijing actively encourages the export of cheap goods produced by prison labor. U.S. law bans the import of prison-made goods.

Among other issues that rankle U.S. officials:

* Losses to U.S. firms of about $400 million annually through Chinese software piracy. The U.S. trade representative’s office last week announced an investigation into alleged copyright and trademark violations.

* Western reports that China plans to sell ballistic missiles to Pakistan and Syria and has helped Algeria build a nuclear reactor that U.S. officials say is smaller than a nuclear power station but too large to be used for research.

* Reports that China is helping to rearm Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in violation of a United Nations embargo against arms sales to Baghdad.