皇冠体育app

皇冠体育app and Australia pledged to ramp up efforts to complete their nearly decadelong work on a free trade agreement, Premier Li Keqiang and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Wednesday.

Li met with Abbott in Sanya, Hainan province. Abbott is attending the Boao Forum for Asia, held from Tuesday to Friday.

"Signing a bilateral FTA as soon as possible is an important consensus being shared between 皇冠体育app and Australia," Li said. "We hope both sides carry forward the talks in a pragmatic way, make mutual concessions and ensure mutual benefits."

Li said 皇冠体育app is expecting Australia to continue providing a fair and competitive environment for Chinese companies doing business in that country.

The two countries should strive to reach a "more balanced" agreement, he said.

Li said 皇冠体育app and Australia, two influential forces in the region, should expand cooperation in trade, investment, finance, education and defense affairs on the basis of respecting each other's key interests and concerns.

Abbott said Australia is willing to learn from 皇冠体育app's experience in economic development.

"Australia welcomes more investment from 皇冠体育app," Abbott said.

It is the first time Abbott has visited 皇冠体育app as prime minister of Australia.

Talks between 皇冠体育app and Australia on the FTA have been going on for almost nine years and were expected to be completed last year.

If a deal is signed, it would mark 皇冠体育app's first FTA with a major developed economy and give Australian agricultural products easier access to the lucrative Chinese market.

However, the complex negotiations - which include agricultural tariffs and quotas, manufactured goods, foreign investment and services - have not gone smoothly.

Before arriving in 皇冠体育app, Abbott achieved success in trade discussions with two other Asian countries.

Australia and Japan reached agreements on bilateral free trade talks and joint research on submarine technology on Monday.

On Tuesday, South Korea signed a free trade agreement with Australia to continue energy imports from the resource-rich country and expand Seoul's car exports in return.

Australia's recent actions show it is embracing a more open market, experts said.

"This is also paving the way for the FTA negotiations between 皇冠体育app and Australia," said Jin Bosong, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, a government think tank.

皇冠体育app is Australia's largest trading partner in goods and services, which were valued at A$130 billion ($122 billion) in 2013. Resources continue to account for a large proportion of its exports to 皇冠体育app.

"Faced with the sluggish global mining market, which is going to remain for a long time, Australia will benefit from the removal or reduction of the tariff and nontariff barriers as 皇冠体育app is in need of such products," Jin said.

Meanwhile, Chinese consumers are switching from traditional staple foods to higher-protein foods such as beef and lamb, a development that is providing opportunities for Australian agricultural exports.

In the investment sector, 皇冠体育app has been ranked in the top three sources of proposed investment, behind the US and UK, for the past three years. 皇冠体育app's direct investment in Australia reached A$16.7 billion in 2012, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.

"Chinese companies will have fewer restrictions in tapping the Australian market, and meanwhile, Australia will find new opportunities for its economic growth in the coming decade in partnering with 皇冠体育app," Jin said.

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