From the Sydney Morning Herald:
- Australia is prepared to walk away from a much-touted free trade agreement with China unless there are major last-minute concessions on farm products, according to well-placed government sources.
- Prime Minister Tony Abbott hopes to end a negotiating marathon now into its ninth year by signing an agreement with China’s President Xi Jinping in November.
- Sources familiar with recent negotiations say … any deal will hinge on China’s willingness to radically improve market access for beef, lamb, dairy, horticulture, wine and other farm products to at least match the access that China gave New Zealand farmers in a free trade agreement signed in 2008.
