Trade negotiators, led by Vice-Minister for Foreign Trade & Economic Co-operation Long Yongtu, have given European Union officials a detailed document outlining how far Beijing is willing to go to liberalise its economy.
The move is in response to EU concerns that, following Beijing's landmark agreement with the United States on its entry into the World Trade Organisation, EU areas of interest were not being adequately addressed.
Brussels claims that it agrees with up to 80 per cent of Beijing's pact with Washington, but says there are some outstanding areas, particularly in the telecommunica tions and banking sectors, where it is hoping for greater progress.
'China has come to do business - this is clear,' an EU spokesman said yesterday. 'They have come here with replies to our requests in both goods and services, and the discussions are ongoing.' He said it was expected that a final session of the talks, which began on Monday, would continue until today, when full details on the progress of the negotiations should become available.
Since the US agreement, however, several other countries including Canada have agreed on the terms of the mainland's entry, and steps are being taken at the WTO's headquarters in Geneva to resume talks on the mainland's so-called accession protocol.
The protocol, which will form a key part of Beijing's WTO entry, is aimed at providing the framework for those parts of the mainland's trade regime that are not governed by how much market access the government provides to foreign investors.
It will address areas such as the level of intellectual property protection and the rules on state trading and non-discrimination that will be provided under the mainland's foreign trade regime.