China Trade Bill Passage Likely

After months of delay, the U.S. Senate is poised to give final approval this week to legislation granting permanent normal trade relations to China in a historic vote fulfilling one of President Clinton’s last foreign policy objectives. The hotly contested trade bill is expected to garner overwhelming support in Tuesday’s vote, in a victory for business groups eager to tap the vast Chinese marketplace, potentially the world’s largest with 1.3 billon consumers. In exchange for the benefits, China has agreed to open a wide range of markets to U.S. businesses under the terms of an agreement setting the stage for Beijing to join the Geneva-based World Trade Organization later this year.