BEIJING, March 6  -- China and the United Stateshave been in close touch regarding U.S. beef exports to China, but no breakthrough has been made, a Chinese agricultural official said here Friday.

Bi Meijia, chief economist at the Ministry of Agriculture, made the remarks at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing National People's Congress annual session.

If the traceability of U.S. beef exports could be as good as products of Canadian and Australian exporters, he said, U.S. beef might appear at diners' tables in China quite soon.

The U.S., a major beef exporter in the world, has not got a comprehensive cattle traceability system.