Translation from the Chinese-language Sing Tao Daily:
"80% of Our Readers Support Unconditional Renewal of
Most Favored Nation Trading Status for China"
Sing Tao Daily Western Edition
May 15, 1993
(Sing Tao Daily report.) Starting May 10, this newspaper conducted
a reader survey on the question of Most Favored Nation (MFN) trading
status for China. The survey's results indicate that 79% of our
readers feel that China's MFN status should be renewed this year
without any conditions.
As of yesterday, we have received 1,310 responses to the survey.
Of these 226 were postmarked after the May 10 deadline, or were
received in the last two days, after the results had been tabulated.
Today's report is based on the 1,084 responses postmarked by May 10
and received by May 12.
We received assistance on the survey from Professor Norman Matloff
of the University of California at Davis, who designed the survey
and computed the statistical results, submitting them to us last
night. [As mentioned earlier] the results indicate that respondents
who believe that China's MFN status should be renewed unconditionally
comprised 79% of the total survey response.
The results also showed that support for unconditional renewal of
MFN was broad-based, regardless of from which region the respondent
came to the United States. Support for unconditional renewal of
MFN was expressed by 83% of the respondents who had come to the
U.S. from China, by 73% of those who had come from Hong Kong, by
89% of those from Taiwan [and, according to the accompanying chart,
by 91% of those who were American-born]. Also, such support was
expressed by 62% of those who were in the U.S. on a student visa,
by 82% of those who were American citizens, and by 75% of those
who were U.S. Permanent Residents.
The breakdown of respondents according to the region from which
they came to the U.S. was 56% from China, 34% from Hong Kong [and
the remaining 10% being either American-born or from other regions].
61% of those returning the survey forms were U.S. citizens, 35%
were U.S. Permanent Residents, 3% were here on student visas [and
the remaining 1% were here on tourist visas].
The margin of error for the overall survey, i.e. the figure of 79%
for support of unconditional renewal of MFN, was 3%. We must note
that this was not a scientific survey, but with over 1,000 readers
returning the survey forms, the results here should be regarded as
having a representative nature.
A summary of the results is depicted in the accompanying chart.
The survey results will be sent today to the White House and
Congress.