News reports in recent days have reflected a distinct difference in assessments on whether China is willing to bend enough on agricultural trade issues to satisfy the United States and join the World Trade Organization.

China's Prime Minister Zhu Rongji is in the United States this week and has said he believes the United States and China have a trade agreement that settles several agricultural issues.  U.S. officials are more wary, saying ag issues have not been resolved entirely.

National Pork Producers Council Vice President Nick Giordano told Reuters pork producers "are very encouraged by the progress that's been made to date, and we're very hopeful that during this intense period of negotiations they will provide an offer that we can accept."

President Clinton is expected to devote most of a foreign policy speech today to Zhu's visit.  White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said there are "substantial gaps" remaining between the two sides on agriculture, services and "some distribution issues."

In a speech Tuesday, Zhu said China and the United States had completed the agriculture agreement.  He said China had agreed to allow wheat imports from seven states and citrus imports from four states.  That had been a major barrier to resolving an ag agreement.

U.S. trade representative special trade negotiator Peter Scher, however, was quoted by the Kyodo News Service that China has been "saying that for a while," but the two sides were "still working out the details of the beef and citrus and wheat issues."