Mandelson, on a five-day trip to China, listed a litany of grievances in fields ranging from agricultural products to banking, as he spoke to students at the People's University in Beijing.

European Union trade chief Peter Mandelson, seen here, has urged China to assume a greater leadership role in the global economy, saying much more was needed to open up the Asian giant's markets. [AFP]

"China's World Trade Organization membership has been another significant step -- provided the commitments are met. But more is needed," he said.

He said China, which entered the WTO in late 2001, was destined to play "a pivotal role" in the world economy for decades to come, but that this status was linked to important duties and obligations.

"Economic leadership also brings with it responsibilities -- to respect and support open markets, to apply rather than circumvent the rules and, above all, to ensure that the benefits of open markets are shared by all," he said.

Issues raised by Mandelson included non-tariff barriers such as procedures for product certification and labeling approvals, as well as lengthy authorization periods.

He also mentioned sanitary barriers in agricultural trade, national standards in conflict with international ones and a failure to open up government procurement.

Finally, he pointed out complex rules restricting foreign investment and unequal access to banking finance.

"These practices complicate the lives of our businesses selling into China. We would like to work now with China to see them removed," he said.

The value of Chinese exports to the European Union has almost doubled in four years from 81 billion euro to 157 billion euro (104 billion dollars to 201 billion dollars), Mandelson said.

He said this had boosted China's share in overall EU imports to more than 13 percent from eight percent over the same period.