WASHINGTON. Apr 6: The US House of Representatives will vote during the week of May 22-26 on legislation granting permanent trade benefits to China. Speaker Dennis Hastert announced yesterday in a move the White House said should shore up support for the market-opening pact, says Reuters.

"We have a target date to work together ... to get it done.” Hastert told reporters.

But the Illinois Republican said the burden was on President Bill Clinton to secure enough Democratic votes to ensure passage of the legislation, which would clear the way for US businesses to tap China's vast marketplace, potentially the world's largest with 1.3 billion consumers.

The Clinton administration

and its allies have been urging the Republican leadership for weeks to set a deadline for a vote on permanent normal trade relations (NTR), arguing that it would put pressure on wavering Democrats to support the market-opening agreement.

If a vote was not held before June, they said, the trade pact could become mired tn election politics and may have to be set aside until 2001.

Previously Hastert said he would schedule a vote only after Clinton and Vice President Al Gore had secured the support of between 90 to 100 House Democrats.

"We're still working to get every vote we can," senior Clinton adviser Joel Johnson said.

Clinton's allies In the House expect 70 to 80 Democrats to

support permanent NTR, enough they say to ensure passage If 150 Republicans back the Initiative. The legislation will need 218 votes in the 435-mem-ber House for approval.

Senate passage is virtually assured.

The White House and the business community welcomed Hastert's announcement and promised to redouble their lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill.

"I assure you that 1 will do what 1 can to pass it." Clinton said. "I think it is not only in our economic interest, this Is of profoundly important national security interest to the United States.

US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky said she was confident "we will prevail."