The bill is one of the most important issues that the U.S. Congress will vote on later this year and one of President Clinton's most important legislative battles of his presidency.

Granting China PNTR is key if the United States is to enjoy the benefits of China's accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The trade deal, struck on November 15, 1999, after years of negotiations, offers U.S. companies unprecedented access to China's markets. President Clinton said he hopes that China can receive PNTR status by June 2000.

Failure to grant PNTR will not deny China membership to the WTO. Giving China permanent trading privileges will, however, permanently throw open China's huge and rapidly expanding market to the U.S., and vice-versa. Failure for Congress to pass the bill will limit the reciprocal rights offered by China according to the Sino-U.S. WTO agreement.

Beijing already has negotiated the terms of its WTO entry with most of its trading partners and they are willing to give China permanent trading privileges. Therefore, failure for the U.S. to grant China PNTR will give Europe and Japan a competitive edge over U.S. firms.

As Hong Kong is a major entrepot serving the mainland ?in 1999 more than 80 per cent of Hong Kong's exports originating from the mainland were shipped to the United States ? failure for China to gain PNTR status will be detrimental to mainland and Hong Kong businesses.

The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce encourages members to solicit support from your colleagues and business counterparts in the United States by letting their respective congressmen know that granting PNTR to China is crucial to the trilateral business between China, Hong Kong and the United States. It is vital that you contact your U.S. business partners now!