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Since 1990, Congress has faced an annual, contentious decision on whether, and under what conditions, to renew normal trade relations (NTR) status with China for another year. This annual exercise occurred because under U.S. law, China’s NTR status is temporary, and the President has to recommend its renewal each year by June 3. In 2000, the 106th Congress considered and passed H.R. 4444 (P.L. 106-286), which would eliminate the annual NTR renewal process and grant permanent NTR to China. But this Act only grants permanent NTR to China once it joins the World Trade Organization. Since this has not yet happened, President Bush on June 1, 2001, was compelled to recommend another temporaryextension ofChina’s NTRstatusfor one year in order for it to continue uninterrupted. The NTR renewal is subject to enactment of a joint resolution of disapproval by Congress. Such a joint resolution, H.J.Res. 50, was introduced on June 5, 2001, byRepresentative Dana Rohrabacher. The Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee reported the resolution adversely on July 12, 2001, and the House rejected the resolution on July 18, 2001, by a vote of 259-169.