Not so lucky number 150
No sooner had Vietnam celebrated its success in becoming the WTO's 150th member than it suffered a setback in its trade relations with Washington: Congress voted against normalising trade relations between the two countries.
A procedural setback, insisted the Bush administration, which had tried to speed the bill through the outgoing Republican-led Congress - the measure mustered a majority, but not the two-thirds majority it needed to be expedited though.
A needless and embarrassing cockup, more like, not least because President Bush was imminently due in Hanoi for the APEC conference.
Thankfully, no lasting harm is likely. The measure is likely to be approved soon on a simple-majority vote.
