Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) members have voiced support for China's entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO) at an early date, Vice- Foreign Minister Wang Guangya said in Beijing Tuesday.

"APEC members believed that China's accession to the WTO is a matter of great urgency," Wang said at a press conference shortly after the conclusion of the first Senior Officials Meeting of the 13th Ministerial Conference of APEC.

Wang said the meeting of APEC trade ministers will be held in China in June. If China could become a WTO member before that time, it would be important as positive results are expected at the June meeting.

Wang, who is also chairman of the first Senior Officials Meeting of the 13th Ministerial Conference, said China did not hold bilateral negotiations with Mexico concerning China's WTO membership at the meeting over the past two days.

However, he said, Mexico has promised it would not be an obstacle to China's accession to the WTO.

(Xinhua 02/14/2001)