Australia, China FTA likely \\\'by end of year\\\'

BEIJING, June 24 (Reuters): China and Australia, which have been trying to set up a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) for years, are determined to sign a deal by the end of this year, Australia's trade chief said on Tuesday after talks with Chinese leaders.
But there has been little sign of a breakthrough despite Prime Minister Tony Abbott's expressed intent to seal an agreement before November.
Australian Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb said the deal with China was on track, but declined to give details of talks, saying he didn't want to "put his cards on the table".
Free trade talks have been stymied by Beijing's concerns over opening markets to Australian food.