China and Australia Are Doubling Down on the ChAFTA Free Trade Deal: Here’s What It Means

Key Points

The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) is being reinforced with a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on July 15, 2025.
This MOU signifies a high-level commitment, witnessed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The new MOU aims to celebrate ChAFTA’s 10th anniversary in 2025 by launching a
comprehensive review to identify growth areas and supercharge trade and investment.
Key goals of the review include enhancing liberalization and facilitation of trade and
investment, and providing “higher level of institutional assurance” for economic
cooperation.


Detail	Description
Signing Date	July 15, 2025
Witnessed By	Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
Signed By (China)	Wang Wentao (Minister of Commerce)
Signed By (Australia)	Jan Adams (Secretary of DFAT)
Purpose	Reinforce ChAFTA, launch comprehensive review for 10th anniversary

The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) just got a major signal of commitment, pointing towards a new chapter in economic ties between the two giants.

On July 15, 2025, top officials from both nations signed a fresh Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to build on their existing trade relationship.

This isn’t just a routine handshake.

The signing was witnessed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, signaling high-level buy-in from both sides.

The MOU was officially inked by China’s Minister of Commerce, Wang Wentao (Wang Wentao 王文涛), and the Secretary of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Jan Adams.

A Decade of ChAFTA: What’s the Big Deal?

The original China-Australia Free Trade Agreement kicked off back in 2015.

For nearly a decade, it has been a game-changer for the economic and trade relationship between the two countries, delivering some pretty substantial results.

With 2025 marking the 10th anniversary of ChAFTA, this new MOU is a strategic move to not just celebrate, but to actively level up the partnership.

It’s a clear message: they’re looking to the future, not just the past.

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Milestone/Focus	Significance
ChAFTA Launch	2015 – Game-changer for economic relations
Length of Impact	Nearly a decade of substantial results
2025 Significance	10th Anniversary of ChAFTA
New MOU Strategy	Not just celebration, but active “leveling up”
Future Outlook	Strategic focus on future growth

Inside the New MOU: So, What’s Next for Australia-China Trade?

This Memorandum of Understanding is essentially a roadmap for the next phase of ChAFTA.

Both countries have committed to two core actions:

Continue High-Quality Implementation: This means making sure the existing agreement runs as smoothly and effectively as possible. No hiccups.

Launch a Comprehensive Review: They’re popping the hood on the entire agreement to see what’s working, what’s not, and where the next big opportunities lie.

Primary Commitments of the New MOU

Continue High-Quality Implementation: Ensure existing agreement runs smoothly and effectively.
Launch a Comprehensive Review: Analyze what’s working, what’s not, and identify new opportunities.

Key Goals of the ChAFTA Review: What They’re Looking For

This review isn’t just for show. It has three very specific, high-value objectives that could directly impact businesses and investors.

Here’s the breakdown:

Identify Growth Areas: The primary goal is to pinpoint specific sectors and clauses within the agreement that can be improved or expanded. Think new industries, updated terms, and a more modern approach to trade.

Supercharge Trade and Investment: They are actively looking for ways to enhance the liberalization and facilitation of both trade and investment. For founders and businesses, this could translate to lower barriers, less red tape, and easier access to capital and markets.

Provide Institutional Rock-Solid Assurance: For investors, this is huge. The review aims to provide a “higher level of institutional assurance” for economic cooperation. This means more stability, predictability, and confidence for anyone deploying capital or building a business across the two nations.