China comments encouraging: Robb

A free-trade agreement with China will bring billions of dollars Australia's way but is also likely to mean making domestic concessions, Trade Minister Andrew Robb concedes.

Comments out of Beijing detailing China's eagerness to finalise a free-trade agreement between the two countries were welcomed by the minister, while the Australian Greens warned against rushing ahead.

There are still "a few stages to work through" before inking the agreement, Mr Robb told ABC radio on Thursday, but he is confident it will be delivered by the end of 2014.

Negotiations have stretched over several years as Australia and China try to reach common ground on an FTA, but during a recent address Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has vowed to accelerate the deal.

"You get Premier Li making these statements about the priority and the acceleration of these negotiations, (and it) sends a signal to everybody throughout his administration and it certainly gives us the encouragement to bring it to finalisation," Mr Robb said.

The minister added that during trade agreement negotiations, he aimed to advantage Australia's strong sectors, naming agriculture, resources, education, health and medical research, and tourism.

"Of course that means we liberalise areas that China is strong in," Mr Robb said.

"That means there will be some pressure and structural adjustment in some cases but it is a very healthy thing for Australia and it is critical if we are to get sustainable jobs."

Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson called for more transparency in the negotiations.

"We don't trust the government to accelerate free trade deals ... and we certainly don't want Andrew Robb's foot on the pedal accelerating these deals," he told reporters in Canberra.

Australia already had robust economic relationships with China, Korea and Japan and Senator Whish-Wilson questioned what there was left to offer.

He has a bill before the Senate to ban investor state dispute settlement provisions in trade agreements, which he says would end the power of foreign companies to sue the Australian government if law changes affect their profits.