Farrell’s virtual meeting was agreed to during a 45-minute exchange between Assistant Trade Minister Tim Ayres and China’s Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos,Switzerland.
Farrell said:“I made it very clear right from the day I took over this job seven months ago,that we would much prefer to sort this out with China through dialogue and discussion,rather than arbitration through the World Trade Organisation on Friday. I look forward to discussing this with my colleague in China as soon as practicable.”
Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that a video meeting between the two trade ministers would take place"in the near future".
Farrell’s virtual meeting will follow a breakthrough November meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bali and a December meeting in Beijing between Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her Chinese counterpart.
Lee McLean,chief executive of Australian Grape and Wine,said he felt “cautious optimism” that China may soon begin removing import duties on Australian wine.