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Washington, Nov. 2 (CNA) The US House of Representatives on Tuesday decided to postpone until next year the full House discussion of the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act (TSEA), which was amended and passed by the House International Relations Committee on Oct. 26.

Party leaders of the House decided to postpone full House discussion of the TSEA in an effort to avoid complicating the upcoming crucial period during US-mainland China bilateral talks on Beijing's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), sources from the House committee said.

House sources predicted that the TSEA, passed by the International Relations Committee by a margin of 32-6 on Oct. 26, could easily be passed by the full House if it were included in this week's agenda.

Upon the House committee's passage of the act on Oct. 26, officials from the Clinton administration reiterated the State Department's set policy of opposition to it.

According to the Washington Post, the administration tried almost every means to prevent the act's passage by the committee. The administrative efforts, including personal calls by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and White House National Security Adviser Samuel Berger to the International Relations Committee, could not stop members of the committee from consenting to it.

Meanwhile, aides of committee members disclosed that the House decided to postpone the full House debate of the TSEA to next year because of the divided opinions of Republican leaders. They were divided not over the content of the act, but over the timing of its almost-certain passage by the full House.

Some party leaders argued that if the TSEA is first passed by the House of Representatives and then by the Senate at a time when Washington-Beijing bilateral WTO talks are in high gear, passage of the act favoring Taiwan would serve as a solid blow, directly challenging the administration's sincerity in dealing with Beijing.

The amended TSEA, put forth by the House International Relations Committee's Republican chairman, Representative Benjamin Gilman, retains provisions calling for Taiwanese military officers to have an increased number of slots reserved at US military training facilities, and for the establishment of direct communications between the armed forces of both countries. (By Herman Pan and Deborah Kuo)