BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- China and the United States will hold the fourth round of textile talks soon, China's Ministry of Commerce said here Sunday.

    Both sides have made positive progress on that issue after the previous three rounds of talks despite their differences on some matters of principle, an official with the ministry said.

    They have also expressed their aspiration for an agreement on the issue during the recent talks, said the official.

    The official said China and the United States agree to continue their talks to seek a solution and create a stable environment for textile trade between the two countries.

    The two sides failed to reach an agreement at their third round of talks on textile trade in San Fransisco, United States, on Aug.17.

    China struck a deal with the European Union in June that restricts the growth of clothing shipments in ten categories to between 8 and 12.5 percent through 2007.

    Recently, the import restrictions on Chinese textiles have harmed European textile traders, consumers and retailers. Some European Union countries, including Germany, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, are pressing the European Commission to relax its quotas on China's textile and apparel products.

    China's domestic textile industry is expecting a satisfactory outcome.

    Chinese textile sector hopes that a deal can be reached as soon as possible to create a clear trade environment for textile traders both at home and abroad. Enditem