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 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 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 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 hi-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 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 EU as an important party in multilateral negotiations.

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

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 EU was satisfied with trade negotiations between the EU and China.

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

China and 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 EU have a broad future for cooperation.

EU could help in China's development in hi-tech and the renovation of traditional industries, he added. Official statistics indicate that trade volume between EU and China increased by 28 percent 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 cooperation so as to achieve a trade balance gradually.

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

China hopes 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 cooperation 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 EU and holds that the development of EU promotes the establishment of a new world political and economic order, Jiang was quoted as saying by the spokesman.

According to the spokesman, 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 cooperation 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 hi-tech industries, the development of West China all need foreign capital, technology and management experience,'' said Zhu.

(gzmp.dayoo.com)