CHINA'S PLUM FOR CLINTON

A day after the U.S. and China signed several trade pacts, Beijing announced it is ready to discuss its much-criticized human rights record. China had suspended informal talks on the sensitive subject this February after U.S. officials met with dissidents during a visit to the country. Talks are scheduled to resume in September. Observers say the unexpected development is intended as a reward for the Clinton administration, which in May decided not to link approval of China's Most Favored Nation trading status with its human rights record.