India and China signed a WTO accession deal as EU negotiators, led by European Commission trade official Hans-Friedrich Beseler, met again with a Chinese team headed by vice foreign trade minister Long Yongtu.

"There are no new developments. They're continuing the negotiations," said Laura Greebe, EU spokeswoman in Beijing, said.A Chinese foreign trade ministry official, played down expectations of a breakthrough on Tuesday. "We are not working overtime tonight," he said.

EU sources said a third day of negotiations would be arranged if all went well and EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy has said he is ready to jump on a plane to Beijing this week.

The EU spokeswoman declined to say whether the talks would resume on Wednesday or whether arrangements were being made for Lamy to fly in.The EU imposed a virtual news blackout on its negotiations to remove the biggest remaining obstacle to China's WTO membership.

Officials of the EU the most important WTO member yet to conclude a trade deal with China have refused all comment on the talks since they opened on Monday.

EU country diplomats in Beijing were warned against talking to reporters - a reflection of the delicate task of representing the diverse interests of 15 member states, which range from industrial powerhouses to tiny financial centres.

One European diplomat said the EU's secrecy was designed to avoid the fate of the United States, which embarrassed and angered China last April by publishing details of Chinese concessions, many of which Beijing disputed.

-- (Reuters)