A high-ranking US agricultural official said on Nov. 5 that cooperation in agricultural trade between the United States and China will benefit both countries.

Addressing a seminar on farming-related technology in Xi'an, capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi province, Joseph Jen, US Under Secretary of Agriculture, described the potential of bilateral trade between the two countries as huge.

He explained that significant differences between the two countries existed in terms of farming systems and related resources.

In a speech titled "China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Sino-US cooperation", he said that business opportunities for high-value fruits, vegetables and domestic animal and poultry products would rise.

Chinese farmers, by taking advantage of the WTO membership, would be able to produce export-oriented, high-value, labor-intensive products, Jen said.

On the other hand, China would import more land-intensive farm produce, which would bring opportunities for American farmers, he said.

He foresaw growing trade in farm produce between the two countries as China gradually opened its doors to overseas farm produce.

American farmers would benefit from the increased exports of US grain to China while a growing amount of cheap Chinese fruit and vegetables would go to the U.S.