By JONATHAN D. SALANT, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura says he is joining forces with the Clinton administration to push for permanent normal trade relations with China.
"If we turn our back on China, rest assured the other nations throughout the world are not going to turn their back on them," Ventura said on 'Fox News Sunday.'
Ventura, who was the Reform Party's highest elected official before quitting it last month, said he would help lobby for the trade bill now pending in Congress. The legislation would award China permanent normal trade status with the United States in return for China's agreement to drop trade barriers that American manufacturers and farmers complain cost them billions of dollars in lost export sales.
China made the market-opening offers to get U.S. support for its membership in the World Trade Organization.
Ventura is scheduled to tout his support of the measure Thursday when he testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee.
He plans to be active in other forums as well.
"I've been asked by the administration to take a very lead role on trade of which I'm honored, and I will take that lead," Ventura said. "I believe in doing what's best for our country, and if I can help, I'll doggone well do it."
When Ventura was in Washington for a recent National Governors' Association meeting, he told Clinton he was a strong supporter of China's entry into the WTO, White House spokesman Jake Siewert said Sunday. The president said he hoped Ventura would play a visible role.
"Obviously, we appreciate his support and hope he's visible on this because he speaks for an important and substantial portion of the American people," Siewert said from Geneva, where Clinton met with Syrian President Hafez Assad.
Clinton and the nation's business community strongly support normal trade relations, while organized labor is just as steadfastly opposed.
Ventura said labor's position was wrong.
"They better modernize themselves and realize that opening up China to our trade is going to create more jobs here, because we're in a position where we're giving up nothing," he said. "Whatever China is sending here now they'll continue to send here. But what is happening here is tariffs are going to go down, markets in China are going to go open up.":
