China is certain to join the World Trade Organisation but, despite 14 years of diplomatic talks, the precise entry date remains as elusive as ever, according to Long Yongtu, its chief representative for trade negotiations.
Most issues were settled months ago, but long-running disputes about farm subsidies and other items have delayed agreement on final entry terms. Yet, because so much has been done, 'accession is irreversible', Mr Long said in an interview in his Beijing office.
'If a long march is 10,000 miles, we have covered 9,999 of them . . . So whether we enter in June or September or November will not make much difference.'
But if the timing is less important, Mr Long is convinced that eventual WTO membership - which he has been negotiating personally for 10 years - will make a great deal of difference to China in the long run.
For one thing, 'it will help our image in the world as a responsible country and that is important for China', he explained.
'The image of a country decides to a large extent the credibility of a country. This can bring a huge increase of foreign investment.'
China already receives more foreign investment than any other developing nation, and many economists expect further increases once its WTO membership is official. But some Asian governments fear that spending will be diverted from them.