<Patten said the November agreement between the United States and China had
already dealt with some 80 percent of Europe's
concerns, but that Europe viewed as very important the other 20 percent, including
issues like tariffs and telecommunications.>
Wednesday February 23, 10:16 pm Eastern Time
China, EU go into fourth day of WTO talks
BEIJING, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Chinese and European Union trade negotiatiors began a
fourth day of talks on Thursday after a senior EU official indicated the two sides were
still far
from a deal on Beijing's bid to enter the World Trade Organisation.
The EU delegation, led by European Commission trade official Hans-Friedrich Beseler,
has
been meeting a Chinese team headed by Vice Foreign Trade Minister Long Yongtu
since
Monday in an effort to conclude China's 14-year quest to join the WTO.
While the EU team in Beijing remained silent about the talks, EU foreign affairs chief
Chris Patten told reporters in Portugal on
Wednesday the two sides were unlikely to reach agreement soon about Beijing's WTO
entry.
''There are tough issues that have to be agreed. As far as we are concerned, speed isn't
the problem; it's substance,'' Patten
said.
Patten said Pascal Lamy, the EU commissioner for foreign trade, would travel to join
the talks in China if progress was made.
''But frankly we will all want to be convinced that it's worth the fare, and that I think will
depend on the Chinese recognising the
legitimacy of some of our anxieties,'' he said.
Patten said the November agreement between the United States and China had already
dealt with some 80 percent of Europe's
concerns, but that Europe viewed as very important the other 20 percent, including
issues like tariffs and telecommunications.
A Chinese Ministry of Foreign Trade official who took part in the talks on Wednesday,
the third day of talks, said progress
was ''just so-so,'' but declined to elaborate.
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