Pakistan on November 17 expressed warm welcome to an agreement reached between China and the United States on China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The agreement, which was signed on Monday, had been long overdue, Pakistan's Foreign Office said in a press release.

Pakistan is hopeful for a swift conclusion of similar agreements by China with other WTO members so that China is admitted to the world trade body at the Seattle conference later this year, it added.

The statement praised China's economic achievements in the last decade, describing them as "a source of strength to the world and to Asia in particular."

China's policy of keeping a balance between the concerns of the developing countries and the industrialized states will also help carry forward WTO negotiations in the coming years, said the statement.

"We look forward to maintaining close cooperation with China at the WTO," it concluded.