Australia gives China deadline for access
Daily Telegraph, Australia
Australia gives China deadline for access
31 August 2006
(AFP)Australia told Beijing today it wanted access to China’s services market by the end of the year, saying it needed to see real progress as the sixth round of free trade talks begin.
Trade Minister Mark Vaile said China needed to provide "real commercially valuable market access for our exporters".
"Our objective is to obtain commercially-valuable outcomes for Australian industry - given the growth of the trade relationship, there’s little point in an agreement that doesn’t achieve a real opening of China’s markets," Mr Vaile said in a statement before talks opened in Beijing.
He said better access for Australia’s services exporters to China was crucial.
"For that reason, Australia will insist that services market access negotiations begin, at the very least, by the end of this year," he said.
"I do not want to see a significant gap between services and goods negotiations. We have always said this must be comprehensive and concluded as a single undertaking."
The talks will continue until September 6.
China is now Australia’s second largest trading partner after Japan.
Australian exports to China soared 46 per cent to $16 billion in 2005 while imports rose 19 per cent to $21 billion.
If the free trade agreement goes ahead, it would be China’s first Free Trade Agreement with a developed economy.
