WASHINGTON - The United States on Thursday said China had submitted an improved offer to join a WTO pact that allows members better access to lucrative government contracts.

"China submitted its revised offer last week. We are still analyzing it but we recognize that it includes significant improvements over its initial offer that was submitted at the end of 2007," said deputy US trade representative Demetrios Marantis.

Marantis said the new offer could be "a solid step toward ensuring China's huge government procurement market is open to US companies."