This page best viewed at 600 x 800 pixels using Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or higher or Netscape Navigator 4 or higher . This legislation will authorize the President to grant permanent Normal Trade Relations status to China after he certifies to Congress that the terms of China's accession to the WTO are at least equivalent to those agreed in the US-PRC bilateral agreement reached last November. Before the President can make that certification, the ongoing multilateral negotiations in Geneva must be completed, specifically, the Protocol of Accession and the Working Party Report to the WTO General Council.
China is a nation where a free market and the rule of law are in the earliest stage of development.
Accession to the WTO, and our granting PNTR, are just the first steps in that process. China's integration into the global trade community will not be completed overnight. It will take a lot of work by economic reformers in China. And it will take a lot of work by leaders in the United States and in other WTO members to ensure that China stays on course. Over the coming years, we will have to put a lot of effort into scrutinizing closely and constantly China's compliance with its commitments.