For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 27, 2001
President Grants Permanent Trade Status to China
Statement by the Deputy Press Secretary
President Bush Grants Permanent Normal Trade Relations
Status to China
Today the President signed a proclamation granting permanent normal
trading relations (PNTR) status to the People's Republic of China and
terminating application of Jackson-Vanik provisions to
China. Taking effect January 1, 2002, this is the final step
in normalizing U.S.-China trade relations and welcoming China into a
global, rules-based trading system. It marks the completion
of more than a decade of bilateral and multilateral negotiations, and
the beginning of a process of working constructively with China to help
it fully implement its commitments on trade liberalization.
Congress authorized these actions subject to the President's
certification that the final terms of entry for China into the WTO were
at least equivalent to those agreed to bilaterally between the United
States and China in 1999, and China's successful entry into the
WTO. The President certified the equivalency of the final
terms on November 9, 2001; China formally became a WTO member on
December 11, 2001.
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