The point is not to punish China, but to maximize the positive influence the U.S. could exercise as China's biggest customer.

The last is to punish China.

In a 259-to-173 vote, the House today easily rejected the annual attempt to punish China by ending its normal trading status with the United States.

They say Washington should refuse to send a delegation at all, to punish China for its human rights record.

Let's punish China by not gaining access to its market?

The sanctions were proposed to punish China for the continuing piracy of software, compact disks and other "intellectual property."

And last year, Mr. Clinton refused to punish China for human rights abuses, removing a crucial barrier to prison labor.

On the other hand, the Administration decided not to punish China for the sale to Pakistan of equipment used to produce weapons-grade enriched uranium.

The Bush Administration has said it would be unwise to punish China now.

Some in Congress have proposed legislation to punish China if it does not revalue the currency.