China Trade Bill
5/24/2000 5:41 PM
Washington, DC

By:  Judy Collins, Education Director

The House passed the Permanent Normal Trade Relations Bill #4444 for liberalizing trade relations with China with a vote of 237-197. It must get approval by the Senate and then the President must certify the bill. After the final signing by President Clinton, a follow up chart will be posted in the newsletter. In the meantime, this is the chart to be used. Clinton commented on the passing of the bill, "The Chinese market is the largest new market in the world". China represents over one-quarter of the world’s population. This bill will allow American businesses to take full advantage of a series of new markets. Opponents of the bill say this will reward China, who maintains a brutal regime and will cost American’s jobs. As a member of the World Trade Organization, China will have to open up their country to imports from other member countries. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., who forged an alliance with Clinton that helped propel the measure to victory, wrapped up House debate by telling colleagues; "The Chinese market is opening. Somebody is going to have an opportunity to sell to this vast new market. The question is, Who will be there when it opens?"

This is certainly a manifestation of the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction I spoke about at the last ASA meeting. We should all watch other 9th house matters for further happenings such as the new merger of United Airlines.

In a mundane event chart, only applying aspects tell what will happen to the bill as it attempts to obtain Senate approval. There is no doubt that President Clinton will sign the bill, so what needs to be looked at, is the bill going to get approval from the Senate and what will take place prior to their vote? The ascendant of the chart is 2 Scorpio 55, just at the point of making it a readable chart. The ruler, Pluto is retrograde and receiving an opposition from the Sun. The Sun is the ruler of the 10th house, which is the President. This will mean President Clinton will be applying pressure for its passage. There will be power struggles between the two different factions and not necessarily along party lines. The eclipse of 7/16 on the South Node in the 3rd house, along with Neptune, which receives trines from Sun and Venus, will give this bill lots of press both positive and negative. The 10th house cusp will be eclipsed on 7/31, which will time important events leading up to the conventions nominating the next candidates for President. Pluto is in the 2nd house, opposing the Sun in the 8th, the hope of improving our economy through trade with China. The Moon in this chart, which represents China, ruler of 9th and our public opinion, in the 4th is trine to Mercury, square Jupiter, Saturn, and conjunct Uranus, confirming a wide range of opinions both in China and here in our country. The Jupiter/Saturn conjunction in the 7th, signifying Congress and the Senate, making the above aspects looks like a heated debate is in store for its passing. Because this conjunction is sextile and trine the Nodes in this chart, it should benefit our country. We’ll see…won’t we?