Australia and China have agreed to step up dialogue to resolve bitter trade disputes under existing free trade mechanisms, but did not secure any major breakthrough during ministerial talks in Beijing on Friday.
Trade Minister Don Farrell and his Chinese counterpart, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, held "warm, constructive and candid" talks, including on progress for a range of trade bans for products including barley, wine and beef.
Senator Farrell stressed the ongoing tensions had not emerged overnight and would take sustained work to be resolved to the satisfaction of both countries.
The two ministers have agreed to continue discussions, part of the Australian push for a "pathway" to stabilise trade relations and end World Trade Organization disputes.
Senator Farrell raised the cases of two detained Australians, journalist Cheng Lei and author Yang Hengjun, pushing for their release by Chinese authorities as soon as possible.
"I invited Minister Wang to visit Australia and am very pleased to say that he has accepted my invitation so that we can continue to build on the positive momentum of our trade relationships and our discussions today," Senator Farrell said.
But there is less clarity about a likely visit by China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang to Australia, with Senator Farrell saying only that discussions continue about a time frame.
The visit could take place in July, part of a reciprocal process after Foreign Minister Penny Wong visited Beijing in December.
Mr Wang raised China's eagerness to be admitted as part of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
China applied to join the CPTPP in September 2021, with Taiwan following less than a week later. Ecuador, Costa Rica and Uruguay are the other applicants, and South Korea has expressed an intention to join.
The meeting also discussed China's frustration at delays for some electric vehicles being imported into Australia.
As a result of the meeting, Australian officials will be dispatched to try and resolve biosecurity issues related to the cars.
"They were very positive discussions," Senator Farrell said.
"A whole lot of movement has started already. We've seen coal come back into China. We've seen copper concentrates come back into China. We've seen cotton come back into China.
"We've got a pathway for resolving the World Trade Organization barley dispute and we've indicated to the Chinese that we see that as a process for delivering on the issue of wine."
A joint statement from the talks is due to be issued before Senator Farrell departs Beijing for Australia on Saturday morning.
