BEIJING, Feb 28 (Reuters) - In another sign of Beijing's desire to enter the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the People's Daily said on Monday China will benefit rather than lose from memebership.
"Joining WTO as a developing country will be both positive and negative for our country's economic development. But from a general point of view, the pros will outweigh the cons," said a signed article in the Communist Party's flagship newspaper.
The article, reiterating views shared by many economists and government officials, said China needed WTO memebership to deepen economic reform even though entry would hit China's agricultural, financial and telecommunications sectors.
"The adjustment and optimisation of the industrial structure is an important and urgent task for our country's development. Entry into the WTO will help to create a favourable international environment for the strategic task," it said.
The article was published just one week before the March 5 opening of China's annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), or parliament.
The semi-official China News Service said last week China's WTO bid would be a "hot topic" at the NPC this year.
NPC deputies "will show special concern for and make suggestions on the advantages and disadvantages of China's entry into the WTO," the agency said.
The NPC would review laws, regulations and policies and "use law to guarantee the implementation of WTO terms," it said.
WTO negotiations between China and the European Union ended last week with no agreement and no date set for them to resume.
Leaders of a U.S. Senate committee said last week a key WTO agreement Washington made with China last November was in peril after Beijing threatened to attack Taiwan if the island delayed talks on reunification.
Analysts say a delay in China's WTO entry would slow reforms needed to make the economy more efficient and undermine trade and foreign investment.
The delay could also make a number of global stock offers by its biggest state firms less appealing to foreign investors, since underwriters have touted the companies as benefitting from WTO, analysts say.
The People's Daily article said WTO entry would boost foreign investment in China and exports and bring more advanced foreign technology.
It urged state-owned enterprises and government agencies to comply with "market rules" and "replace the traditional planned economic views with market economic ideas" as part of preparations for WTO accession.:
