Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he is confident of securing an Australian free-trade agreement with China within 12 months.
Speaking to the media at the APEC summit in Bali, Mr Abbott said he was using the meeting to shore up free trade with other countries in the region, particularly China.
Mr Abbott says New Zealand has cut a series of trade deals, including one with China, with much faster progress than has been seen in Australian negotiations, reports the ABC.
Mr Abbott met with China's president Xi Jinping on Sunday night and has confirmed he will travel to China in the first half of next year.
"Our intention is to move as quickly as we can. I would be disappointed if we couldn't conclude a significant free-trade agreement with China in 12 months.
"Lets face it, the Kiwis, have had a series of agreements, including one with China, which have been very good for their economy," he is quoted on the ABC.
"They've managed to go from start to finish much more quickly than we've been able to manage over the last few years under the former government and I think we can do a lot better than that now."
Australia has been negotiating a free-trade agreement with China since about 2005.
