World IN BRIEF : CHINA : House Backs Clinton, OKs Trade Extension

Sustaining a key element of President Clinton’s foreign policy, the House voted 318 to 105 to maintain China’s preferred trade status for one more year. The lopsided vote endorsed Clinton’s decision to put conditions on any further extension of China’s most-favored-nation trade status beyond July, 1994. The conditions call for improvement in China’s record on human rights, use of forced prison labor, emigration policy and weapon exports policy. MFN status allows the exports of other countries to enter the United States at reduced tariffs.