The European Union's top trade official will discuss Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and how to help China come to terms with WTO membership during visits next week.

EU Trade Commissioner Mr Pascal Lamy goes to China on Monday and Tuesday to discuss how the EU can help Beijing implement the market-opening and other legal commitments it made to join the WTO.

China completed its 15-year quest to join the WTO at the trade body's meeting in Qatar earlier this month, bringing a market of 1.3 billion people into the global trading system and changing the way Beijing does business with the world. After a last formality, China could take its seat in the Geneva-based WTO by the end of this year.