The Administration hoped that this gesture would encourage Beijing to ease political repression.

But the White House demurred largely because it believes China has done nothing to ease repression.

China's leaders have rejected American pressure to ease political repression, arguing that it amounts to blatant interference in their internal affairs.

The Clinton Administration has argued that once the United States stopped challenging China's human rights record and withdrew the threat of economic sanctions, China would ease repression at home.

The United States has been pressing Beijing to ease repression and to release the country's most famous dissident, Wei Jingsheng, among others.

The annual vote should not be given up, they say, because it is Washington's only stick for persuading China to ease repression and to free dissidents.

Washington has taken conciliatory action in the past only after Warsaw has taken big steps to ease repression.

That, of course, was to renege on his promise to use tariff pressure on Beijing to ease repression of dissidents, priests and workers.

But if it took clear and specific steps to ease repression and establish democratic rule, relations could improve.

He also urged China to allow several dissidents to leave the country, to ease repression in Tibet and to permit Christians more religious freedom.