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New Australia-China FTA talks begin in Beijing
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-08-23 08:47
Australia and China began a second round of talks on a free trade agreement
that could eventually be worth some 20 billion dollars to the Australian
economy, officials said, AFP reported.
A second round of
free trade talks, agreed to in April during a meeting between between
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao(R) and Australian Prime Minister John Howard,
seen here together in 2003, began in Beijing.
[AFP] | Ric Wells, a senior trade official, was leading the Australian delegation in
talks with Zhang Xiangchen, vice director of China's Ministry of Commerce's
world trade department, officials from both sides said.
Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile last week said the free trade agreement
was a "once in a lifetime opportunity" for his country and urged his negotiators
to outline barriers faced by Australian industry in doing business with China
during the talks.
The Australian negotiating team has consulted widely with business and other
groups over the past four months and a range of interests and concerns had also
been raised in more than 260 written public submissions.
The talks are seen as still in the preliminary stages, diplomats said.
The two governments agreed to begin the free trade talks during a meeting in
Beijing in April between Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Australian Prime
Minister John Howard.
Since then Australia and China have agreed to establish four working groups
for the negotiations covering agriculture, trade in goods, trade in services,
investment and other trade facilitation issues.
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