US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick arrived in Beijing Wednesday night to discuss with Chinese officials issues concerning the progress in the new round of multilateral trade talks.

Known as the Doha Development Agenda, the talks were stalled after members of the World Trade Organization failed to reach agreements on major topics at a ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico last year.

Zoellick is expected to meet with officials of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and exchanged views on the new round of talks as well as bilateral trade issues.

Earlier this year, the US trade representative wrote to members of the WTO, making some new proposals on major topics of the talks.

Beijing is the second leg of Zoellick's travel around the world after Tokyo. He will also visit Singapore and south Asia, Africa and Europe before returning to the United States, according to the US embassy in Beijing.

(Xinhua News Agency February 12, 2004)