China hoped experts of the World Trade Organization (WTO) would be "impartial" and "just" in handling the Sino-US poultry trade dispute, Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Yao Jian said on Friday.

Yao's comment in a statement came after the WTO decided on Friday to convene an expert panel, at China's request, to investigate and rule whether a US ban on Chinese poultry imports violated WTO regulations.

The United States has completely banned imports of poultry products from China since 2007, through its annual appropriation acts and other measures, said the statement.

These unilateral measures fundamentally violated WTO rules, and significantly disrupted the normal poultry meat trade between China and the United States, Yao said in the statement.

Such measures are typical acts of protectionism, which the Chinese government and enterprises strongly opposed, Yao said.

The Chinese government was resolved to defend the legal rights of Chinese poultry meat producers under WTO rules.

It usually takes 45 days for a WTO expert panel to be set up, and panelists need at least six months to examine a dispute and give a final ruling.

(Xinhua News Agency August 1, 2009)