The time clock began ticking in January for congressional review of the US/China nuclear co-operation agreement signed in October 1997 by President Clinton and China’s President Jiang Zemin. On 12 January, Clinton officially certified the bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement, beginning a mandatory 30-day congressional review period. Robert J Einhorn, assistant secretary of state for non-proliferation, told the House International Relations Committee that China has made substantial progress in establishing an effective export control system for nuclear-related materials and is participating in international nuclear export control efforts. If Congress fails to take action within 30 days, US companies, which so far have been frozen out of the Chinese market, will be free to sell nuclear equipment there.
