No More Dockers

As President Clinton ponders whether to extend China's most-favored-nation trading status, Levi Strauss & Co., the world's largest maker of name-brand apparel, has decided to phase out its Chinese operations because of "pervasive violations" of human rights. The decision abides by the company's investment guidelines, adopted last year. A Chinese Foreign Ministry official downplayed the impact. "At present there are tens of thousands of foreign companies investing in China," he said. "If one or two want to withdraw, please do." Levi's withdrawal will halt production of 5 million pants and shirts a year.