文章以先声夺人的写作手法：克林顿不同意中国加入世贸打发朱总理回国引出两党(共和党和民主党)矛盾，国会和白宫之相反意见(对比写法)到最终四方趋向一致来证明总统决定是对的——以最好的价码使美国获得最佳利益为前提同意中国加入世贸来满足美国商人的要求。

PassageOne(ClintonIsRight)

PresidentClinton’sdecisiononApr.8 tosendChinesePremierZhuRongjipackingwithoutanagreementonChina’sentryintotheWorldTradeOrganizationseemedtobeamassivemiscalculation. ThePresidenttookadrubbingfrommuchofthepress, whichhadbreathlesslyreportedthatadealwasinthebag. TheCabinetandWhitHousestillappeareddivided, andbusinessleaderswerecharacterizedasfuriousoverthelostopportunity. ZhuchargedthatClintonlacked“thecourage” toreachanaccord. AndwhenClintonlatertelephonedtheangryZhutopledgearenewedeffortatnegotiations, thegesturewaswidelyportrayedasaflip-flop.

Infact, ClintonmadetherightdecisioninholdingoutforabetterWTOdeal. Alotmorehorsetradingisneededbeforeafinalagreementcanbereached. AndwithouttheAdministration’sgoalofa“bullet-proofagreement” thatbusinesslobbyistscanenthusiasticallyselltoaRepublicanCongress, thewholeprocesswillendupinpartisanacrimonythatcouldharmrelationswithChinaforyears.

THEHARDPART. Manybusinesslobbyists, whiledisappointedthatthedealwasnotclosed, agreethatbettertermscanstillbehad. AndTreasurySecretaryRobertE. Rubin, NationalEconomicCouncilDirectorGeneB. Sperling, CommerceSecretaryWilliamM. Daley, andtoptradenegotiatorCharleneBarshefskyalladvisedClintonthatwhiletheChinesehadmadearemarkablenumberofconcessions, “we’renotthereyet,” accordingtoseniorofficials.

NegotiatingwithZhuovertheremainingissuesmaybetheeasypart. AlthoughClintoncansignalU.S. approvalforChina’sentryintotheWTOhimself, heneedsCongresstograntBeijingpermanentmost-favored-nationstatusaspartofabroadtradeaccord. AndthetemptationformeddlingonCapitalHillmayproveover-whelming. ZhuhadbarelylandedbeforeSenateMajorityLeaderTrentLott(R-Miss) declaredhimselfskepticalthatChinadeservedentryintotheWTO. AndSenatorsJesseA. Helms(R-N.C.) andEmestF. Hollings(D-S. C.) promisedtointroduceabillrequiringcongressionalapprovalofanydeal.

Thehiddenmessagefromthesethreetextile-stateSoutherners: GetmoreprotectionfortheU. S. clothingindustry. Hopingtosmooththeway, theAdministrationtried, butfailed, tobudgeZhuontextiles. Alsoleftinthelurch: WallStreet, Hollywood, andDetroit. ZhurefusedtoopenupmuchofthelucrativeChinesesecuritiesmarketandinsistedon“cultural” restrictionsonAmericanmoviesandmusic. HealsoblockedeffortstoallowU. S. automakerstoprovidefleetfinancing.

BIGJOB. Already, businesslobbyistsareblanketingCapitolHilltopresaleanyeventualagreement, butwhatthey’veheardsofarisn’tencouraging. Republicans, includingLott, saythat“thetimejustisn’tright” forthedeal. Translation: We’redeterminedtomakeitlookasifClintonhascapitulatedtotheChineseandisignoringhuman, religious, andlaborrightsviolations; thetheftofnuclear-weaponstechnology; andthesaleofmissilepartstoAmerica’senemies. Beijing’sfiercecriticswithintheDemocraticParty, suchasSenatorPaulD. WellstoneofMinnesotaandHouseMinorityleaderRichardA. GephardtofMissouri, won’thelp, either.

JusthowtoughthelobbyingjobonCapitolHillwillbebecomeclearonApr. 20, whenRubinlectured19chiefexecutivesontheneedtodisciplinetheirRepublicanallies. WithbusinessandtheWhiteHousestilltradingchargesoverwhoisresponsibleforthedefeatoffast-tracktradenegotiatinglegislationin1997, workingtogetherwon’tbeeasy.

AndRepublicans—withawink—saythatthey’lleventuallyembraceChina’sentryintotheWTOasafavortoCorporateAmerica. ThoughnotlongbeforetheytortureClinton. ButZhuisoutonalimb, andifCongressoverdoesthecriticism, hemaybeforcedbydomesticcriticstorenege. BusinessmustmakethismuchdeartobothitsGOPalliesandtheWhitHouse: Thishistoricdealistooimportanttorisklosingtoanymorepartisansquabbling