From: jwh3@po.CWRU.Edu (Junwei W. Hou)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.china
Subject: U.S.-China Act of 1992 (China's MFN status)
Date: 9 Nov 1992 06:40:50 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: jwh3@po.CWRU.Edu (Junwei W. Hou)
NNTP-Posting-Host: thor.ins.cwru.edu


(Nov. 8, 1992)  U.S.-China Act of 1992 (China's MFN status)
***************
Note: The following information may be helpful in aiding the
ongoing discussions about the legislation attaching conditions on 
China's most-favored-nation status.  (JWH)

(most-favored-nation status: A clause providing that the trading
subjects of the contracting nations may enjoy the trade privileges
which are granted by either contracting nation to those of the most
favored nations.  For example, China, upon annual renewal of such
status, may enjoy the lowest U.S. tariff available in any trade
agreement accorded between the U.S. and any other country.)
***************************************************

                                 1992 H.R. 5318 
  
                       UNITED STATES- CHINA  ACT OF 1992 
                    =========================================

DATE-INTRO: June 3, 1992 
LAST-ACTION-DATE: October 1, 1992 
FINAL STATUS: Vetoed by the President 

SPONSOR: Representative Donald J. Pease D-OH 
TOTAL-COSPONSORS: 70 Cosponsors:  52 Democrats / 18 Republicans 
SYNOPSIS: A bill regarding the extension of most-favored-nation 
treatment to the products of People's Republic of  China, and for
other purposes. 
  
BILL-DIGEST: (from the CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE) 
United States  China  Act of 1992 Prohibits the President from 
recommending for a 12-month period in 1993 continuation of a  
waiver of human rights and emigration requirements for
nondiscriminatory treatment  most-favored-nation  treatment)  
for  China  under the Trade Act of 1974 unless a specified  
report is submitted to the Congress stating that  China  has  
accounted for and released prisoners who dissented in  
Tiananmen Square and in other parts of  China  on June 3,  
and 4, 1989, and made progress in: 

(1) preventing gloss violations of internationally recognized human
rights, including workers' rights, in  China and Tibet; 

(2) preventing exports of products made by prison labor, and
allowing U.S. officials and international organizations to inspect
such places of detention; 

(3) terminating religious persecution in  China and Tibet and
releasing religious leaders incarcerated as a result of the
expression of their religious beliefs; 

(4) removing restrictions in  China  and Tibet on freedom of the
press and on broadcasts by the Voice of America; 

(5) terminating harassment of Chinese citizens in the United States
(including refusal to return or renew passports as retribution for
prodemocracy activities); 

(6) ensuring access to prisoners of international human rights  
monitoring groups; 

(7) ensuring freedom from forfeiture and in humane prison
conditions; 

(8) terminating prohibitions on peaceful assembly imposed after
June 3, 1989; 

(9) committing to engage in high-level discussions on human rights
issues;  

(10) adhering to the Joint Declaration on Hong Kong; 

(11) providing adequate protection of U.S. patents, copyrights,  
and other intellectual property rights, and implementing the  
Memorandum of Understanding Between the Government of the  
People's Republic of  China  and the Government of the  
United States of America on the Protection of Intellectual  
Property; 

(12) providing U.S. exporters access to Chinese markets, including
lowering tariffs, removing nontariff barriers, and increasing the
purchase of U.S. goods and services; 

(13) ceasing unfair trade practices which burden or restrict U.S.
Commerce; 

(14) adopting a national policy which adheres to the Missile
Technology Control Regime and the controls of the Nuclear Suppliers
Group and the Australia Group on chemical and biological arms
proliferation; and 

(15) assuring that it is not assisting any nonnuclear weapons
state in acquiring nuclear explosives devices.  

Requires the President, if he recommends such extension, to include
in a specified document submitted to the Congress a report on
China's  progress in meeting the above-mentioned objectives.
Requires such report also to include, but not be limited to,
progress made by  China  and Tibet with regard to specified human 
rights.  Grants nondiscriminatory treatment to products of  
nonstate-owned enterprises in  China.


               Congressional Activities  
               =========================
ACTIONS: Committee Referrals: 
06/03/92 House Ways and Means Committee 
06/03/92 House Rules Committee 
07/23/92 Senate Finance Committee 
  
Legislative Chronology: 
1st Session Activity: 
2nd Session Activity: 
06/03/92       Referred to the House Ways and Means Committee 
06/03/92       Referred to the House Rules Committee 
06/29/92       House Subcommittee on Trade held a hearing 
06/30/92       House Subcommittee on Trade approved for           
               full Committee action amended 
07/02/92       House Ways and Means Committee ordered reported
               amended 
07/08/92       Reported in the House, amended (H. Rept. 102-658,
               Part I) 
07/09/92       House Rules Committee granted a single rule
               providing for consideration of the bill, the rule
               make in order consideration of the bill after the  
               disposition of H.J.Res 502, the rule waives all  
               points of order against consideration of  
               the bill, orders the previous question  
               on the Ways and Means Committee amendment en  
               bloc now printed in the bill, and not subject to
               ademand for the division of the question 
07/09/92       House Rules Committee further granted in the rule,
               providing for one motion to recommiton the bill 
07/21/92       H. Res. 514, the rule under which the bill was
               considered, was agreed to in the House, by voice
               vote 
07/21/92       Passed in the House by a recorded vote of 339 yeas
               and 62 nays (D 227-15; R 112-47) 
07/21/92       House rejected the Archer motion to recommit the
               bill to the Committee on Ways and Means 
07/21/92       House agreed to the committee amendments en bloc, by
               voice vote 
07/23/92       Referred to the Senate Finance Committee 
08/04/92       Senate Finance Committee ordered favorably         
               reported with an amendment in the nature of 
               a substitute and without recommendation -- 
               as approved by the committee, the text of 
               S. 2808, Senate companion measure, was 
               incorporated into the substitute amendment 
08/05/92       Reported in the Senate with an amendment in the
               nature of a substitute 
09/10/92       Senate reached a unanimous-consent agreement       
               providing for the consideration of the bill on
               Monday, September 14 
09/14/92       Passed in the Senate, after agreeing to a committee 
               amendment in the nature of a substitute, by voice
               vote 
09/14/92       Senate adopted Kennedy (for Kerry/Smith)           
               Amendment No. 2985, to require the Government of the
               People's Republic of  China to cooperate with United

               States in efforts account for United States military
               personnel missing in action or otherwise unaccounted
               for as a result of their service in the Korean
               conflict or Vietnam conflict, by voice vote 
09/14/92       Kerry (and Smith) Amendment No. 2985, submitted 
09/15/92       Senate requested the concurrence of the House 
09/22/92       House voted to suspend the rules and agree to the
               Senate amendments to the bill, by voice vote --
               clearing the measure for the President 
09/22/92       Enrolled in the House 
09/24/92       Presented to the President on September 22, 1992 
09/29/92       House read a message from the President wherein he
               announces his veto of the bill, and explains his
               reasons therefor-- ordered printed (H. Doc. 102-398)
09/29/92       House agreed that consideration of the veto        
               message be postponed until Wednesday, September 30,
               and be the first unfinished veto message 
09/30/92       House voted to override the President's veto of the
               bill, by a recorded vote of 345 yeas and 74 nays
               with 1 voting "present" (D 243-14; R 102-60) (Roll
               No. 441) --two-thirds of those present having  
               voted in the affirmative -- clearing the measure for
               Senate action 
09/30/92       Senate reached a unanimous consent time agreement  
               providing for the consideration of the veto message
               on the bill, with a vote on reconsideration of the
               bill, the objections of the President
               notwithstanding, to occur on Thursday, October 1 
09/30/92       Subsequently, the veto message was considered as
               having been received by the Senate and the reading
               was waived 
10/01/92       Senate failed to override the President's veto on
               the bill, by a recorded vote of 59 yeas and 40 nays
               (D 51-5; R 8-35) -- two-thirds of those Senators 
               duly chosen and sworn not having voted in the
               affirmative 
*********************************************************(end)