1.   Among his first likely tasks will be to secure Senate passage of permanent trade relations with China, a top goal of the Clinton administration and the business community.

2.   Answering critics of permanent trade status, Roth said opening Chinese markets would also enhance democratic values there.

3.   At the very least, they said, senators will want to see improvement by China on the human rights front in exchange for granting permanent trade status.

4.   Bailey noted that AIG is lobbying for approval of permanent normal trade relations with China, a measure passed by the House but tied up in the Senate.

5.   Beijing would like to garner some positive press before the Senate votes on normal permanent trade relations with China.

6.   Beijing has said it will lower tariffs for the nations that accept permanent trade relations with it.

7.   Both Gore and the expected GOP nominee, George W. Bush, support permanent trade status for China and elimination of the annual congressional review.

8.   Both provisions won backing from the Republican leadership last week, which agreed to include them as part of the bill that would grant China permanent trade status.

9.   A critical vote on granting China permanent normal trade relations is scheduled in the U.S. House next week.

10.   A majority of Senate Republicans urged their leader, Trent Lott, to delay until September a vote on a major bill establishing permanent normal trade relations with China.