China, Australia discuss expanding FTA

infrastructure, agriculture, the information industry, environmental protection and other areas.

Before the forum, both leaders also attended the sixth Australia-China CEO Roundtable Meeting and the second Australia-China State and Provincial Leaders Forum in Sydney.

Li said at the roundtable that it served not only as a channel for communication for businesspeople from both countries but also as a significant way to boost governmental exchanges. Businesspeople are expected to promote trade liberalization and the further opening- up of more fields for both countries, he said.

Before the events in Sydney, Li and Turnbull engaged in the fifth Annual Meeting between Chinese and Australian Prime Ministers in Canberra.

Both countries should fully review the existing free trade agreement and conduct free trade policies in more areas to promote globalization and oppose trade protectionism for open markets, Premier Li said.

Turnbull said that the two nations’ economies can complement each other and that they face the challenges of economic transformation and trade protectionism.

Then Li and Turnbull witnessed the signing of a number of agreements between the two countries to boost cooperation in fields such as agriculture and food.

Both leaders agreed to strengthen people-to-people exchanges.

Turnbull announced in Canberra that Australia would open a new consulate general next year in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province — it is expected to ease visa applications from Northeast China. Shenyang will be the host of the fifth Australian consulate in China, following Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Hong Kong.