经历了数十年的谈判，习近平主席与托尼• 阿博特总理最终确认实质性结束这场具有历史意义的澳中之间的自由贸易协定。这将给澳洲的金融服务提供商一个前所未有的进入中国市场的机会。

贸易投资部部长罗伯（Andrew Robb）和中国商务部部长高虎城昨天签署了一份意向声明，该声明指出双方将在2015年用双语正式签署自由贸易协定的相关法律文本。

本文将为您简述该自由贸易协定中与澳洲金融服务行业有关并且较为重要的内容。

金融服务行业将会随着该协议在保险、基金管理、证券与期货、银行与私募领域的推行而得益。澳洲与中国政府之间在金融服务方面的承诺是十分重要的。一旦执行，该协议代表着中国 除了与香港和澳门达成的协议之外的最大尺度的市场准入决策。

金融服务行业的不同方面随着该协议的签订将在以下表格所列方面受益：

两国都同意查看双边税务制度从而推进自由贸易协定范围内的贸易和投资，特别是涉及国际税务准则和双方经济目标的问题。重点将被放在重复征税与防止逃税方面。

另外，该协议将促使金融服务委员会的建立从而为澳中两国的金融服务监管机构提供一个常规论坛以讨论涉及相互利益的主题、或是指出双边关系中出现的与金融服务相关的问题。

尤其特别的是澳洲证券投资委员会（ASIC）和中国证监会（CSRC）已经同意加强合作、增进对对方的监管框架的理解。

在这样的背景下，中国人民银行和澳大利亚中央银行定出了执行备忘录、用以在悉尼建立一个人民币清算行。比之目前的方法来说，这将为跨境人民币交易的执行提供一个更为直接的办法。

总体上该协议涉及金融服务的条款将为澳洲金融服务行业从业者提供一系列在中国的新机会或是增加这样的商业机会、并且进一步开放两国间的金融投资形态。

China-Australia Free Trade Agreement brings greater market access for Australian financial services providers

After a decade of negotiations, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Tony Abbott have concluded negotiations for an historical free trade agreement (FTA) between China and Australia, which looks set to allow Australian financial services providers unprecedented access to the Chinese market.

Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb and Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng signed a Declaration of Intent in respect of the FTA yesterday, undertaking to prepare the legal texts in both languages for official signing in 2015.

This article provides a summary of the provisions of the FTA that will be of particular application or importance to the Australian financial services industry.

The financial services industry is set to benefit from the implementation of the FTA across the insurance, funds management, securities and futures, banking and private equity sectors. The commitments between the Australian and Chinese governments in the area of financial services are significant, and the FTA once implemented, will represent the most substantial access to the Chinese market granted outside of its agreements with Hong Kong and Macau.

A summary of the benefits to various areas of the financial services industry is set out at the end of this article.

Each country has also agreed to review the bilateral taxation arrangements to facilitate trade and investment under the FTA, having regard to international taxation standards and mutual economic objectives. Areas of focus will be on double taxation and preventing tax evasion.

In addition, the FTA will provide for a financial services committee to be established, to provide Australian and Chinese financial services regulators with a regular forum in which to discuss topics of mutual interest, or to address financial services related issues arising from the bilateral relationship.

Specifically, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) have agreed to strengthen their cooperation and improve their understanding of each other’s regulatory frameworks.

Against this backdrop , the People’s Bank of China and the Reserve Bank of Australia have executed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish an RMB clearing arrangement in Sydney. This will provide a more direct method of executing cross border RMB transactions than is currently available.

Overall, the FTA provisions relating to financial services will provide Australian financial services industry participants with a number of new or increased business opportunities in China, and free up the making of financial investments between the two countries.