The next round of negotiations between the European Union and China on Beijing's bid to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is expected in the next two to three weeks, an EU spokesman said on January 7.

Following recent Chinese agreements with the United States and Canada, the 15-nation EU is the most powerful trading bloc which has yet to conclude a bilateral deal with China for its entry into the global trade body.

The EU and Chinese chief negotiators -- senior European Commission official Hans-Friedrich Beseler and Chinese deputy foreign trade minister Long Yongtu -- talked by telephone on January 7 to discuss timing and the agenda for the next round of negotiations, Commission spokesman Peter Guilford said.

"There is as yet no specific date but you can assume that the next wave of technical negotiations will take place in the next two or three weeks," Guilford told the Commission's daily news briefing.

EU officials expressed hope last month the next round of talks could be the last one, bringing China closer to its dream of joining the world trade body.

Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo will visit Brussels on January 25 for talks with several European commissioners, including External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten and Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy, Guilford said.

EU exports to China rose 13 percent to 14.2 billion euros ($14.62 billion) in the first nine months of 1999 while imports also rose 13 percent to 35.1 billion euros, according to EU statistics. (China Daily)