By William Scally

WASHINGTON, July 19 (Reuter) - A bipartisan bill harshly criticizing the Chinese government and calling on President Clinton to open a diplomatic campaign to get it to change its ways is expected to win House approval Thursday. The bill was worked out by both supporters and opponents of extension of China's favorable trade status with the United States. Congressional aides predicted it would win a big majority.

Among proponents is Maryland Republican Frank Wolf who earlier introduced a resolution to deny China extension of Most Favored Nation trade status. Wolf told Reuter he would not now push for the adoption of the resolution. It was unclear whether it would come to a vote, although Wolf said he believed it would have come close to winning passage.

The House action comes as Sino-U.S. relations are at a new low following China's arrest of human rights activist Harry Wu, an American citizen, and the granting of a U.S. visa to Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui. An aide to another leading China critic, Democrat Nancy Pelosi of California, said the bill was designed to send a strong message to Beijing.

The aide indicated approval of the bill was preferable to a vote to deny MFN that would have been vetoed by Clinton without fear of a congressional override of the veto. The bill castigates China for a range of domestic and foreign policies but says it is in U.S. interests to foster China's engagement in the broadest range of international forums.

It calls on the president to mount intensified diplomatic initiatives to get Wu's unconditional release. It also calls on the president to push for China to adhere to missile export agreements and human rights standards, end coercive birth control practices, respect the legitimate rights of Tibetans, curtail "excessive" military modernization and end provocative military actions in the South China Sea and elsewhere.

Other demands include Chinese adherence to a "rules-based international trade regime," market access for U.S. goods, compliance with a ban on forced labor exports to the United States and reduction of tensions with Taiwan. The bill requires the Clinton administration to provide a detailed plan to start operations of a Radio Free Asia with broadcasts to China. It "commends the brave men and women who have expressed their concerns" to the Beijing government by means of petitions.