Washington, DC - In a letter to President Clinton, Boeing Chairman and CEO Philip M. Condit reiterated business support for ongoing trade negotiations with China. Condit, Chairman of The Business Roundtable (BRT) International Trade and Investment Task Force, sent a letter supporting the Administration's continued efforts at resolving problems between the United States and China to "ensure that America's policy of engagement with China continues to advance American interests."

"Bringing China into the international trading community will not only strengthen the relationship between our two countries," Condit wrote, "it will be a clear endorsement of America's long-standing view that market principles and open trade are key to global financial and economic stability."

The most immediate concern is China's accession to the World Trade Organization. BRT recognizes that opportunity as an important step toward the collective long-standing goal of achieving normal commercial relations between the United States and China. BRT members are eager to take advantage of the window of opportunity to make significant progress on China's WTO accession in anticipation of Premier Zhu's visit to the United States in April.

Condit stressed BRT's consistent support for China's accession to the WTO - which would include permanent "normal trade relations" status - as long as any final agreement provides meaningful commercial opportunities for U.S. exporters and service providers. "If a commercially-meaningful agreement can be reached between the United States and China over the coming weeks and months, BRT companies are committed to working with you and Members of Congress to forge a bipartisan consensus to achieve our longstanding goal of a normal commercial relationship between our two countries," Condit wrote the President.