A foreign ministry spokesman praised the decision as “wise”, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

On Thursday the House rejected by 259 votes to 169 a proposal to block the normal trade status enjoyed by China.

President George W Bush had granted an extension to the trade relationship with China last month and Congress had 60 days to challenge the decision.

Annual approvals of China’s low-tariff trade ties with Washington were supposed to be consigned to the past when Congress voted last year to give Beijing permanent normal trading relations (PNTR).

But that status was dependent on China joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), and its entry has so far been held up by procedural wrangling in Geneva.

(China Daily 07/21/2001)