Talks on China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) have entered the final stage and China and the United States have reached a key agreement on farm Issues, said Shi Guangsheng, minister of foreign trade and economic cooperation, in Denver, Colorado, on April 10. He told a press conference after Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and President Bill Clinton issued a joint statement on issues in Washington concerning China's accession to the trade organization.

Shi denied reports that China and the United States have resolved their differences on all WTO-related issues.

In the joint statement, issued after the signing of the agreement, the United States committed itself to firmly supporting China's entry into the WTO this year.

"This shows that talks on China's accession to the WTO have entered the final stage," Shi said. During the Chinese delegation's current visit, China and the United States have conducted "intensive consultations" on China's accession to the WTO, Shi said.

He said that it took a whole night of tough negotiations before the two sides reached an agreement on farm issues, an important component of a package of accords under negotiation on China's entry into the WTO.

According to the Chinese minister, the agreement was reached at the last minute before the Chinese delegation left Washington for Denver Saturday morning.

"It is the first agreement on the WTO signed between China and the United States, and both sides attach great importance to it," said Shi.

It is really not an easy job to achieve the first agreement since negotiations on China's accession to the WTO have gone through hardships and suffered "twists and turns," he added.

Denying some media reports that China and the United States have reached an agreement on all WTO-related issues, he said, "in fact, the two sides have not yet achieved consensus on all WTO-related issues except the agreement on agriculture."

The alleged "agreement" by the media is "nothing more than a draft proposal floated by the U.S. side during the negotiations," he said.

Noting that talks on China's accession to the WTO have already lasted 13 years, Shi said China will work for the achievement of a bilateral agreement on the WTO with the United States at an early date in accordance with the joint statement, which will pave the way for China's entry into the world trading bloc.