Canadian Foreign Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew on November 16 confirmed his country's readiness to sign a deal with China on its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 20 days.

"Canada is well advanced in its negotiations with China and we are confident that we can reach an agreement before the next WTO Ministerial Meeting in Seattle, November 30 to December 3, 1999," the minister told Xinhua.

He believes that "China chances of joining the WTO are not only good but that its entry is imminent," once the multilateral agreement in the WTO is negotiated on China's accession.

The minister made the remarks to Xinhua a day after China and the US signed a breakthrough agreement in Beijing on China's entry into the 130-plus-member WTO.

China is yet to reach similar deals with Canada and the European Union in her efforts of 13 years to join the world's biggest trade body.

Both the United States and Canada are seeing bright prospects for the global economy with the participation of more than 1 billion Chinese people in WTO. (Xinhua)