PS/Lord Caithness
MFN STATUS FOR CHINA
F Mins 090/4
178
FROM:
A R Paul
Hong Kong Department
DATE:
24 June 1991
CC:
Sir J Coles
Mr Burns
1.
You asked for further details of the process by which President Bush's decision to renew China's MFN unconditionally could be challenged. The position, according to the Embassy in Washington is as follows.
2. A vote in Congress is expected in the first half of July, and a Senate vote sometime between the 4 July Holiday and the start of the Summer Recess on 5 August. Assuming that either Congress or the Senate seeks to reverse the President's decision or to apply conditions, they would need to put up their own draft legislation. If there were differences between the House and Senate these would have to be first reconciled.
3.
On the assumption that the President would then use his veto against the proposed legislation, an override of his veto would then have to be sought by further vote both House and Senate. At this point the President would need to muster a two-thirds majority to win, and importantly in the case of the Senate he would need a minimum of 34 votes.
ATPADJ/1
CC