New China trade entry talks soon, says report

BEIJING, China -- The World Trade Organisation will soon announce the next round of multilateral talks on China's entry, according to China's state-run news agency.

In an overnight report from Washington, Xinhua said China and the United States had called for an "early start" for the next round of talks in Geneva.

The Xinhua report raised hopes that China and the United States have resolved their differences.

Chinese officials have said a new round of talks with WTO members was delayed by disagreement over its subsidies for agriculture and "unreasonable" demands from some members.

China's chief WTO negotiator Long Yongtu and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick agreed at a meeting on Friday that the next round of talks should be held as soon as possible, it said.

Officials from China's Ministry of Foreign Trade could not be reached for comment on Sunday.

China and the United States met earlier this month in Washington to iron out differences to allow another round of talks, officials from both countries say.

A previous round of multilateral talks in Geneva in January failed to resolve outstanding issues that would clear the way for China to join the WTO. Beijing has been trying for 15 years to join the trade body.

Diplomats say at issue was China's subsidies to farmers and access to its tightly guarded insurance market. Beijing insists it be allowed to increase subsidies to its farmers if necessary, a moved opposed by the United States and others.

Remaining obstacles

China and the United States agreed at the meeting on Friday that Beijing's early entry into the WTO serves the interests of both countries, Xinhua said.

Trade minister Shi Guangsheng said earlier this month China would enter the World Trade Organisation soon despite remaining obstacles.

Shi did not give a date for China's entry, but said membership of the world trade club was certain.

"China's accession to the WTO is the general trend and the outcome is already a foregone conclusion," he told a news conference during the annual two-week session of the National People's Congress, China's parliament.

"I can say with great certainty that the day for China's accession to the WTO is, indeed, not far off."

Shi also denied China was dragging its feet to gain more time to prepare for the greater competition that would come after entry.

"The position and attitude of the Chinese government on accession to WTO has not changed over the years," he said. "I believe China's early entry to the WTO is in the interest of both China and all WTO members."

Reuters contributed to this report.

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