16 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 12, 2000 Key votes ahead on China trade legislation WASHINGTON (AP) - Supporters of major legislation to permanently normalize trade with China girded for a key vote on link- ing trade relations to China's obeying weapons proliferation agreements. Sens. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) and Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.)yesterday proposed an amendment to the trade bill outlining sanctions on foreign companies and nations that deal in weapons of mass destruction. Thompson said it was wrong to do away with U.S. trade leverage over China when "they are engaging in activities that post a mortal danger to the welfare of this coun- try." His amendment is opposed by both the administration and Senate backers of the trade bill, who argue that unilateral sanctions don't work and that approval of any amendment could effectively scuttle chances for passage this year. The House passed the trade bill by a 237- 197 margin last May, but it's unclear whether the House ha the time or the votes to approve any Senate changes before Congress adjourns next month. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), a leading sup- porter of permanent normal trade relations, said approval of the Thompson amendment would be a "grave mistake" for the nation. "It will seriously damage important American economic interests and if added to the bill, it will kill PNTR." No time had been set for a vote on the amendment. Today the Senate, which last week defeated several attempts to change the bill, votes on an amendment offered by Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., requiring China to disclose how it is meeting its commitment to the World Trade Organization to end subsidies to state enterpnses that export goods. China is making final preparations to join the WTO and failure of Congress to grant per- manent trade status would deprive American businesses of the lower tariffs China has agreed to as part of its WTO accession. Business groups that avidly support the trade bill say it will significantly increase U.S. exports to China, which now enjoys a trade surplus of near S70 billion a year. The bill is opposed by labor groups and groups critical of China's human rights record. Thompson said he supported the trade bill but "it is inconceivable to me that while we dis- cuss trade issues and a new relationship with China we will not address what China is doing to endanger our country.,' He noted a recent CIA report citing China, Russia and North Korea as the key suppliers of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons tech- '.'"it is inconceivable to me that while we discuss trade issues and a new relationship with China we will not address what China is doing to endanger our country. - Sen. Fred Thompson Republican of Tennessee nology, and reports the Chinese were helping Pakistan, Libya and Iran with their weapons programs. The Thompson-Torricelli amendment would set up an annual review of the weapons sales of China. Russia and North Korea and require the president to impose non-trade-related sanctions on individuals and companies that violate non- proliferation agreements. The president could also impose additional sanctions on key suppli- er nations. It also requires the Securities and Exchange Commission to create a procedure to inform American investors when foreign entities on* the president's proliferation list invest in U.S. capital markets. V C * MULTI COLORSPCAST * ARTIST ON STAFF * RUSH ORDERS * NEAR U OF M CAMPUS . ( m. 1217 PROSPECT, ANN ARBOR 665-1771 :FF with this ad. http://www.tshirtstudio.com First steps in station byAtats astronauts CAPE CANAVERAL, Fl (AP) - Astronauts and cosmonlauts swung open the doors of the international space station and floated inside late yesterday after speeding through six hours of exterior work. The crew of space shuttle Atlantis opened the first of 12 hatches leading into the 140-foot-long station a little early, entering the outermost vestibule and then the American module, Unity. "Welcome aboard," Mission Control radioed up. "It's great to be here," replied com- mander Terrence Wilcutt. It took a few hours for the seven* men to make their way through the complex. The pressure had to be equalized from one compartment to another before the doors could be opened. The station was warm - about 80 degrees - but the humidity was low. Wilcutt and his crew seemed comfort- able as they set up air ducts, took air samples and consulted their checklists. They wore white breathing masks and black goggles in the Russian segments as a safety precaution. Earlier in the day, a pair of space- walkers hooked up cables, installed a navigation tool and dislodged-a jammed piece of equipment on the outside of the space sta.tion. Once that was accomplished, the crew- men turned their attention to the inside. "Basically, it's a cabin we have that@ we're trying to get some furniture into and get it ready to move into," said mission operations director Milt Heflin. The space station is almost double the size it was the last time astronauts visited in May. Zvezda, the Russian- made control module and living quar- ters, was added in late July as the third section. Wilcutt led the way into Zvezda early today."0 It's absolutely beautiful," he said. With only four days inside the sta- tion before Atlantis undocks this weekend, the astronauts and cosmo- nauts had to work fast. One of their first chores was to unload 1,300 pounds of gear from a Russian cargo ship that arrived in August. Atlantis contains an additional 4,800 pounds of supplies for the three men who will move in at the begin- ling of November for a four-month stay. NASA was cheered by the sc- cess of Monday morning's space- walk by Edward Lu and Yuri Malenchenko. About 20 spacewalks are planned outside the station over the next year and a half alone. By contrast, Mon- day's outing was only the 50th in almost 20 years of space shuttle* flight. "We're going to really start getting into the assembly of the space station in very short order here, and I feel like this spacewalk set the tone for what's about to come," said Mike Hess, the lead spacewalk officer inside Mission Control. During their spacewalk, astronaut Lu and cosmonaut Malenchenko had to avoid protruding antennas and docking targets as they clambered 110 feet up the station. The two wore American spacesuits, and mixed and matched American and Russian tools, while working on Russian compart- ments.