China and the United States have kept up consistent contact over China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue in Beijing on November 5.

In reply to a relevant question at a regular press conference, Zhang said China has been engaged in bilateral negotiations with 40 WTO members on the issue, and has completed talks with 12 of them.

"For those WTO members who have not yet completed negotiations with China, we hope that they will adopt a flexible, practical and constructive attitude on the issue, and help make China a formal member of WTO at an early date," the spokeswoman said.