Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji has called on members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) not to bring new requests into the multilateral negotiations that will finally usher China into the global trade club.

China can only enter the WTO as a developing country, not a developed country, Zhu said Monday in Beijing during a meeting with an EU delegation including French President Jacques Chirac, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, and European Commission President Romano Prodi.

The delegation was in Beijing for the third China-EU summit.

Zhu reiterated that China will faithfully carry out its commitments made during the bilateral negotiations.

"Once China enters the WTO, we will further open up the domestic market, and gradually grant foreign investment 'national status','' promised Zhu at the opening ceremony of the China-EU Business Dialogue.

"We will actively invite foreign businesses to invest in high-tech industries and participate in the reform of State-owned enterprises and infrastructure construction.''

He also guaranteed that the Chinese Government will work to improve the investment environment and protect the rights of foreign businesses.

China's 14-year quest for full membership of the WTO is now in its final stage.

Agreements still have to be reached with Mexico, but China has already started multilateral negotiations. Both Zhu and President Jiang Zemin described the EU as an important party in multilateral negotiations.

It is in the common interests of China and the EU that China enters the WTO at an early date, said Jiang, adding that China hopes the EU will continue to support China on the issue.

The EU is willing to push for completion of negotiations in weeks so China can gain WTO membership at an early date, pledged Chirac. He said that the EU was satisfied with trade negotiations between the EU and China.

The EU is willing to actively seek an early solution to these issues, Chirac was quoted as saying by a Foreign Ministry spokesman.

China and the EU signed a market accession agreement in May, which both sides look upon as an impetus for closer economic and trade ties. Prodi said China and the EU have a broad future for co-operation.

The EU could help in China's development in high-tech and the renovation of traditional industries, he added. Official statistics indicate that trade volume between the EU and China increased by 28 per cent in the first eight months of this year on the same period last year. During yesterday's meeting, Zhu said the Chinese side is willing to expand economic and trade co-operation so as to achieve a trade balance gradually.

He called on the EU to relax its restrictions on the export of technological products and increase the transfer of high-tech knowledge to China.

China hopes the EU will soon change its anti-dumping policy - whereby foreign firms trying to sell products in Europe at "too low" prices are not allowed to sell them - and also change the quota restrictions on China's exports to Europe, Zhu added.

According to the spokesman, the two sides agreed to enhance co-operation in science and technology, energy, information, education, cracking down on illegal immigrants, human rights dialogue and the legal field.

The annual talks have enhanced China-EU relations. China attaches great importance to the role of the EU and holds that the development of the EU promotes the establishment of a new world political and economic order, Jiang was quoted as saying by the spokesman.

According to the spokesman, the EU reiterated its adherence to the one-China policy yesterday.

On the sidelines of the summit, more than 400 entrepreneurs from China and Europe discussed ways to expand co-operation at the one-day China-EU Business Dialogue. Having overcome the impact of the Asian financial crisis, China's economy is expected to develop on a larger scale than before, Zhu told the participants.

He invited European businesses to take part in the nation's West development initiative.

"The reform of traditional industries, the progress of high-tech industries, the development of West China all need foreign capital, technology and management experience,'' said Zhu.

(gzmp.dayoo.com)