A fairly new arrival among the ranks is America Online, which has hired veteran international lobbyist Lisa Barry, who formerly worked the issue for Boeing, to make the PNTR case. Now that they're in on it, a lot of politicians are really hustling. The China lobby is certainly not new on the scene. What has changed is the scope and intensity of its efforts. It's hard to guess at a single number since so many of these China shops overlap but have different names, but it's a huge sum of money.
Some figures are clear, however.
Because virtually all of the big business community is united behind the PNTR push, the campaign contributions of proponents are on an even vaster scale. Nonetheless, most people in the United States remain unconvinced, as only 18 percent support PNTR status for China, according to Peter D. Hart Associates. With the vote fast approaching, business leaders have begun tailoring their ads toward specific districts and regions. Television ads convey tales of the vast Chinese wheat market to Northwest farmers, while others brief Floridians on the yet untapped Eastern demand for citrus. Robert A. Kapp recently lectured local businesspeople in Maine on the ways trade with China will benefit their state's blueberry industry.