Zoellick said in the statement. APEC trade ministers closed a two-day meeting in Shanghai Thursday with an urgent call for completion of negotiations to get China into the WTO this year. But analysts warn it will still be a race for China to enter the WTO before the end of the year. Analysts say China could shelve sweeping economic reforms linked to WTO pledges if it does not enter the trade body soon. Zoellick said in the statement that progress on China's entry would also add momentum to the launch of a new global trade round, which could take place at a WTO meeting in Qatar in November.
China wants to act as a bridge between developing and developed countries for the next trade round.
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