China urges US to wrap up trade pact

Negotiators have already completed 24 rounds of talks

China and the United States should complete negotiations on the bilateral investment treaty before November's US presidential election to prevent potential political intervention, former commerce minister Chen Deming said on Wednesday.

His comments came after the US Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump pledged to impose tariffs on Chinese products to "level the playing field", even though this would be contrary to the rules of the World Trade Organization.