Voters in marginal seats across four states strongly oppose key aspects of Australia's free trade agreement (FTA) with China, according to an opinion poll.
The Government is looking to China to renegotiate its free trade agreement with New Zealand after China signed a more generous agreement with Australia.
Australia is seeking to restart trade talks with Indonesia, Australian Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb said, after a series of diplomatic spats left the negotiations in limbo.
Remarkably, the Australian government has given Chinese companies a general right to buy resources and other assets in Australia – so-called market access – without getting the same right for Australian companies in China.
In a sign of the pressure that will be brought to bear on the opposition as it considers its stance on the just-released FTA, the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union warned Labor against making a pragmatic decision to offer its overall support.
Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb told ABC radio: “If it’s not dealt with in the next two or three weeks I think it’s … we’ve got a real problem with the future of the TPP.”
After 10 years of negotiations, the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) will be signed on Wednesday and the text will be released on Thursday.
Indian and Australian negotiators were working overtime for the proposed free trade agreement, Australian High Commissioner to India Patrick Michael Suckling said here on Thursday.