[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
[July 27, 1999]
[Page 1337]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on House Action on Proposed Legislation To Extend Normal Trade 
Relations With China
July 27, 1999

    I welcome the strong bipartisan vote in the House today to extend 
normal trade relations (NTR) with China.
    Extending NTR is the right way to advance America's interests. Our 
exports to China have nearly tripled over the past decade to $14.2 
billion. NTR boosts not only America's economy but also those of Hong 
Kong and Taiwan, as well as China.
    NTR promotes China's integration into the global economy, which in 
turn strengthens market-oriented reformers within China. Expanding trade 
can help bring greater social change to China by spreading the tools, 
contacts, and ideas that promote freedom. Maintaining NTR helps us to 
move China toward global norms on human rights, weapons of mass 
destruction, crime and drugs, and the environment, as well as on trade. 
China clearly has far to go in all these areas, and we will continue to 
address our differences directly and protect our national interests.
    I remain determined to pursue an agreement for China to join the WTO 
on viable commercial terms--not as a favor to China but as a means of 
opening and reforming China's markets and holding China to the rules of 
the global trading system. I remain ready to work closely with Congress 
to secure permanent NTR status for China in the context of a 
commercially strong WTO agreement.