China and the United States ended their three-day negotiations on textile disputes, without reaching a broader agreement, according to a statement of the US Embassy to China on Thursday.

The negotiations between China and the United States aimed at resolving a dispute over textile trade "broke down" on Thursday, the statement said.

China's Ministry of Commerce confirmed that the talks had ended, saying it will release a statement later in the day.

David Spooner, special negotiator for textiles at the US Trade Representative's office, was quoted as saying: "Despite our best efforts, we were not able to reach a broader agreement."

"We will be consulting with the Chinese over the next few days on the date and location of the next round."

The talks, aiming to solve the two countries' four-month long textile dispute, began on Tuesday morning, with Vice Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng leading the Chinese delegation and David Spooner the US side.

(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2005)