Senior officials from Australia and China started their first meeting on the implementation of a bilateral trade and economic framework in Sydney Friday.  

The talks also include a joint feasibility study on a possible free trade agreement.

Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile said in a statement that good progress has been made on the implementation of the framework signed during Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit last October.

Senior officials also discussed possible arrangements for a meeting this year of a bilateral Joint Ministerial Economic Commission and areas within the framework for further cooperation in trade facilitation.

The two-way trade totaled US$13.5 billion in volume for the year 2003, or 30 percent increase over the previous year.

(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2004)