Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sun Yuxi said on Tuesday that Monday's agreement on China's entry to the World Trade Organization is a monumental step toward worldwide wealth.

But he said Taiwan may join the organization only as a separate customs territory of China.

"The Sino-US agreement on China's entry to the World Trade Organization is of profound realistic and historic significance,'' Sun said. "The signing is new inputs to the prosperity of world economy.''

Sun made these comments at a regular press conference in Beijing Tuesday afternoon.

Sun made other comments about Taiwan at his news conference.

In response to an official Japanese wish to establish sister-cities relations between Tokyo and Taipei, Sun said that China is very concerned about the prospect.

Beijing and Tokyo have established a sister-city relationship based on a Sino-Japanese treaty of peace and friendship, Sun noted.

To establish sister relations with Taipei would undermine the political basis of this existing friendship between Beijing and Tokyo and would be a political error, Sun said.

"China will keep a close watch on developments in this event,'' Sun said. (China Daily)