But we're both confident and we went through in some detail what ground had to be covered, [read] including agriculture," Robb told reporters. Free trade talks have been stymied by Beijing's concerns over opening markets to Australian food. There are fears in Australia that an influx of cheap Chinese goods could threaten domestic producers facing a strong local currency and high costs. China has expressed worries over Australia's stringent approval process on foreign investment by state-owned enterprises. Canberra, like many of China's trading partners, wants Beijing to improve access to key industries in which foreign investment is currently restricted. Nonetheless, China's thirst for minerals has fueled more than 20 years of unbroken economic growth in Australia. Robb was in China with Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey for the country's first annual Strategic Economic Dialogue with China, Australia's largest two-way http://abelfyvo.postbit.com trading partner.
More: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/24/us-china-australia-idUSKBN0EZ0T420140624?feedType=RSS