"Sooner or later" that probably will happen, just as Beijing also probably will resort to the WTO dispute-settlement process when it believes its exports are being hampered by unfair trade barriers, Murck said.

In the near term, at least, the business community is prepared to work with Beijing and the U.S. government to try to resolve problems before they get to that level, he said.

Late last year, China and Taiwan became the newest members of the World Trade Organization - in Beijing's case capping a 15-year effort to join the world trade body.

Murck said he expected President George W. Bush to touch on WTO implementation issues when he meets with Chinese leaders Feb. 21-22, although much of the discussions probably will focus on post-Sept. 11 security concerns.

Last week, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick issued a joint statement criticizing China for its new rules on genetically modified crops, which they said threaten to halt billions of dollars worth of annual U.S. farm exports.

Murck said he expected Bush to bring up the issue in his meeting with Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

On the bright side, rules for new tariff-rate quotas on agricultural imports have been released after an initial delay.

Murck also cautioned against early verdicts on how well China is meeting its WTO commitments.