COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, WORLD NEWS: United States president Bill Clinton has expressed his satisfaction at two congressional committees' approval of legislation granting China permanent normal trade relations with the United States. CNN's Bob Beard explains the background on the bill.</s>BOB BEARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The politics of China trade dominated Capitol Hill. A disruptive protester seizing that spotlight at a House hearing featuring three Cabinet members to make a violent statement apparently about trade with Eastern Europe. The scene much calmer, the results more momentous at the House Ways and Means Committee. It approved granting China permanent trading privileges 34- 4.</s>BILL ARCHER, U.S. HOUSE MEMBER: It is a win-win for the United States because the U.S. gives up nothing.</s>BEARD: Archer and other proponents pushed the trade deal through by agreeing to set up a commission to reviewing China's human rights and labor policies. The Senate Finance Committee also approved the China trade bill overwhelmingly, but opponents of free trade with China, allied with labor unions, picked up votes as well today.</s>DAVID BONIOR, U.S. HOUSE MEMBER: A China trade deal is basically like the Bobby Knight of trade deals -- you know, you abuse, you abuse, you abuse, and then they say, well, OK, we'll let you try one more time.</s>BEARD: And in Seattle, at Boeing's massive production facility, the administration won support for China trade from an unlikely ally. GEORGE W. BUSH, REPUBLICAN PRES. CANDIDATE This is not a Republican or Democrat concern, this is an American concern. The trade agreement is the work of 13 years and three administrations, and we cannot let the work go undone.</s>BEARD (on camera): Business groups now hope they have momentum to pass the China trade bill. But at last count, they're still at least 40 votes short with a week to go to convince undecided members China is one market that can't be ignored. Bob Beard, CNN Financial News, Washington.
Politics Of Trade With China Dominate U.S. Capitol