On November 5, 1997, the House of Representatives passed overwhelmingly a bundle of nine measures criticizing China. Even though votes tended to exceed 90 percent favoring the punitive measures, it seemed that the House was only grandstanding, because the Senate is expected to let the bills die without consideration. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich collaborated with President Bill Clinton to keep legislation that was hostile to China off the House floor until after the summit.

The nine bills passed by the House include:

• H.R. 2605: A bill to require the United States to oppose concessional loans from any international financial institutions to any entity in the People's Republic of China. Sponsor: Rep. Solomon (R-N.Y.). Passed with amendment, 354-59, 11/6/97.
• H.R. 2358: A bill to provide improved monitoring of human rights violations in the People's Republic of China by increasing U.S. Embassy and consulate personnel to monitor political repression and prison abuses. Sponsor: Rep. Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.). Passed, 416-5, 11/5/97.
• H.R. 2570: A bill to condemn Chinese Communist Party and government officials, and other persons who can be credibly determined as involved in the establishment or enforcement of population policies resulting in forced abortions or forced sterilizations, by preventing such persons from entering or remaining in the United States. Sponsor: Rep. Fowler (R-Fla.). Passed, 415-1, 11/6/97.
• H.R. 967: A bill to prohibit the use of funds for the participation of certain Chinese officials in international programs, activities, and conferences and to provide that certain Chinese officials shall be ineligible to receive visas and be excluded from admission to the U.S. Sponsor: Rep. Gilman (R-N.Y.). Passed, 366-54, 11/6/97.
• H.R. 2232: A bill providing increased funding of $52 million over two years for Radio Free Asia activities beamed at China. Sponsor: Rep. Royce (R-Calif.). Passed with amendment, 401-21, 11/9/97.
• H. Res. 188: A resolution that urges the executive branch to take action regarding the acquisition by Iran of C-802 cruise missiles. Sponsor: Rep. Gilman (R-N.Y). Passed with amendment, 414-8, 11/6/97.
• H.R. 2647: A bill to ensure that commercial activities of China’s People's Liberation Army and any enterprises under its control are monitored and subject to the authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Sponsor: Rep. Fowler (R-Fla.). Passed 408-10, 11/7/97.
• H.R. 2386: A bill to call on the United States to cooperate with Taiwan on the development and acquisition of a theater missile defense system. The section that declared that the defense provisions of the Taiwan Relations Act superseded the three U.S.-China communiqués was struck from the final version. Sponsor: Rep. Hunter (R-Calif.). Passed, 301-116, 11/6/97.
• H.R. 2195: A bill to provide for certain measures to increase monitoring of products that are made with forced labor, including those that are from the People's Republic of China. Sponsor: Rep. C. Smith (R-N.J.). Passed, 419-2, 11/5/97.

  There are two bills regarding China pending in the Senate, where no action has been taken on them since introduction (September 11, and October 21, respectively).

• S. 1164: A Senate bill that sets forth a fairly comprehensive U.S. policy on China and is similar to the tone and substance of bills passed by the House, including measures such as the denial of visas, instructions for American representatives at multilateral development banks to vote against assistance to China, sanctions on People’s Liberation Army enterprises, funding for Radio Free Asia, annual reports on intelligence activities in the U.S., and an assessment of a theater missile defense system for Taiwan. Sponsor: Sen. Abraham (R-Mich.). Hearings were held on September 17.
• S. 1303: A bill that sets forth a more moderate and conciliatory approach to U.S.-China relations and states its main purpose as integrating China into the world community. It would require an annual accounting of U.S.-China economic relations and would encourage China’s integration into multilateral economic institutions--including permanent Most Favored Nation (MFN) status upon China’s entry of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and requiring the President to draw up guidelines for China’s participation in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and Group of 7 meetings.

  Also, this bill would: require more information on energy and national security issues; establish a commission to promote the rule of law, respect for human rights, religious tolerance, and civil society in China; call for the formation of a commission to prepare a profile of China province-by-province to serve as a basis for permitting the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to invest in certain provinces. S. 1303 incorporates H.R. 1712, introduced May, 1997, by Rep. Bereuter (R-Neb.). Sponsor: Sen. Lieberman (D-Conn.).