Australia Trade Min: Can't Put Time Frame On China FTA Deal
CANBERRA -(Dow Jones)- Australia's Trade Minister Simon Crean said Friday it
is not possible to predict when the resource-rich nation may achieve a free
trade deal with China, despite the resumption of talks.
"I don't want to put a time on it because you become captive to the time
agenda. We're a patient government," Crean told Sky News television.
Crean met with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of a meeting of
Pacific Rim nations in Singapore last week and official negotiations on the free
trade deal will resume in February.
China is Australia's largest two-way trade partner and a major consumer of the
resource-rich nation's commodity exports, underscoring the importance of the
free trade talks.
-By Rachel Pannett, Dow Jones Newswires; 61-2-6208-0901; rachel.pannett@
dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
11-19-091710ET
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