Beijing has hinted for the first time it may resume talks with the United States about its accession to the World Trade Organisation either before or during next month's meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum in New Zealand.
President Jiang Zemin and US President Bill Clinton are expected to meet during the Apec leaders' summit on September 12-13.
'All options are open,' Chinese ambassador to Washington Li Zhaoxing told reporters when asked if the trade talks would resume at Apec.
Mr Li's remarks are likely to heighten hopes of a resumption in talks which had been expected by some analysts.
The ambassador said his government had already 'done enough' to join WTO and urged the United States to clear the way for Beijing's accession.
Experts say the mainland must move swiftly to get into the WTO before a new round of global trade talks gets under way in late November.
