Trade Pact With China

PEKING--U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Strauss said yesterday he has given Chinese representatives three days to decide on the U.S. terms for a textile agreement, but he called chances of settlement "iffy."

"We have scraped out the bottom of the barrel and I have put a final paper on the table--it is an ultimatum"

"I'll flip a coin on whether we succeed...it's iffy," he added.

Strauss plans to meet with Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping and Foreign Minister Huang Hua today, possibly in an effort to break the impasse in the textile negotiations.

Washington wants an agreement that will limit Chinese textile exports to the United States to protect the U.S. garment and textile industry from stiff Chinese competition and preserve American jobs.

The two sides have been negotiating for about a month. Talks ended formally on Friday with no agreement and chief U.S. negotiator Michael Smith said chances of reaching an accord were "less than 50-50."