China has delayed the departure of an official trade delegation to the United States but not cancelled it outright, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday, a day after it summoned the US ambassador to express concern over quotas on its textiles.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said the trade delegation - the second this month - was delayed for technical reasons.

"We reserve the right to take further action," Liu said at a briefing Thursday.

The delegation had been scheduled to leave on Wednesday to buy agricultural products.

(China Daily November 21, 2003)