Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade Sun Zhenyu is confident China will next Monday clear the final hurdle to its accession to the World Trade Organisation.
His comments came after it was announced that the final day of the Geneva meeting had been postponed from yesterday to Monday in response to the terrorist attacks in the United States.
WTO-member countries were expected to approve at the meeting the complex protocols outlining China's rights and obligations as a member of the 142-nation trade body.
Once this formality had taken place, WTO members would be able to approve China's entry at a meeting in Qatar in November, which would lead to full membership being granted early next year.
Mr Sun said he expected the US attacks would have a limited impact on the overall progress of China's entrance to the WTO.
'We are focusing on removing the final impediments,' he said.
'If there are no surprises, we should be able to enter the WTO as expected.'
