Members of the 141-nation World Trade Organisation could approve China's bid to join the trade body at its upcoming ministerial in Qatar in November, a US official said yesterday.

"It appears we are nearing the end game in this accession process," assistant US Trade Representative Jeffrey Bader told a House of Representatives trade panel, referring to China's 15year effort to join the WTO.

But in prepared testimony, Bader warned that China's bid to join the WTO would be set back if Congress failed to renew normal trade relations for an additional year.

"In such a scenario we can expect to fall into a cycle of retaliation and counter-retaliation with the Chinese," Mr Bader said.