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China urged to open

its market: US official

SHANGHAI: A senior US trade official called on Wednesday for China to open its closed markets and relieve a growing frustration among American politicians and the public that could put trade ties at risk.

US Commerce Secretary William Daley said, the Clinton administration was disturbed about the dark mood in the United States, driven by a sense US companies were being treated unfairly and illustrated by a dollars 57, billion trade deficit with China last yaer.

We need greater access across the board for industrial goods, for agricultural goods and for services. That is the only real solution," Daley said to American business executives in Shanghai, China's financial capital.

Daley's comments mirrored US demands during intensifying negotiations over Chinese efforts to join the World Trade Organization. The top US trade negotiator on WTO, US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky, left Beijing after a day of talks on Tuesday, saying substantial gaps remained.

Her comments appeared to dim prospects that 13 years of fitful negotiations over China's WTO entry could be wrapped up in time for Premier Zhu Rongji's visit to Washington next week.

Daley, on a five-year trade mission to China, reiterated that negotiations are continuing, but they would not be held to a deadline.

"This is not a political deal. This is not a decision that should be driven by a visit," Daley said to US executives.

A WTO deal, however, would brighten the atmosphere for Zhu's visit. President Bill Clinton's China policy has been attacked by Republican critics who said it has minimised Beijing's human rights repression, trade surplus, military build-up against Taiwan and possible theft of nuclear secrets.

Daley urged US investors in China to lobby American workers and politicians about the importance of the Chinese market to turn the tide in Congress.ÑAPP