Yang Jiechi, Chinese Ambassador to the United States, said on Wednesday that China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) will have positive and significant influence on the development of Sino-US economic and trade cooperation.

Yang made the remarks in a speech delivered at Saint Joseph's University in Pennsylvania.

He said that both Chinese President Jiang Zemin and US President George W. Bush stressed in their phone call on Monday that the two sides will work hard on the promotion of Sino-US economic and trade cooperation and the further development of bilateral relationship.

He said that China's accession to the WTO will benefit both China and the United States.

China became a WTO member last Saturday at the WTO ministerial meeting held in Doha, capital of Qatar, which concluded on Wednesday.

Yang said that the principle of the non-conditional most-favored-nation treatment of the WTO will be applicable to trade between the two nations, which would mean the removal of an artificial political obstacle that stands in the way of bilateral trade relationship.

He said that China's entry into the WTO will give a fresh impetus to boost trade and economic cooperation between the two countries as China and the United States are major trade partners with their economies complementing each other.

The Chinese Ambassador also said that the appropriate measures that will be taken by the two countries will be beneficial to the increase of bilateral trade and mutual investment and to the establishment of an economic and trade administrative regime that conforms to the common international rules and their own conditions.

He also said that China's accession to the WTO will offer chances for the two sides to exchange views on boosting multilateral trade cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency November 15, 2001)