Brussels, 22/02/2000 (Agence Europe) - After the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia, China signed a bilateral agreement with India on Tuesday on conditions for its accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), whereas its technical negotiations with the European Union were entering their second day, and possibly the last furlong. "Progress made so far is not enough to warrant Commissioner Pascal Lamy's flying to Beijing, but he remains ready to do so", said his spokesman at midday, without ruling out "positive signals reaching Brussels in the afternoon or evening".
Having arrived in Beijing at the weekend for a second session since the one in Brussels that turned out to be "promising", the Community team, led by Hans-Friedrich Beseler, Director General for Trade in the European Commission, "will remain as long as there are things to discuss", he stipulated. Other than the agreement sought with the Europeans, the world's 10th largest trading power has still to agree bilaterally with 13 other of its trading partners, including Switzerland, Thailand, Malaysia, Mexico, Latvia and Argentina, before completing almost 14 years of attempts to join the "Club" of Geneva.