Australia is poised to ratify a trade deal with China after the opposition Labor party proposed a compromise to address fears that projects enabled by the treaty would favour Chinese workers.
The breakthrough comes as Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister, seeks to build a national consensus on reforms to stimulate growth even as the economy of China, Australia’s biggest trading partner, slows.
The trade deal, which was signed in June but requires legislation, would cut tariffs and remove other impediments to Australian exports while relaxing rules on Chinese inward investment. It underpins a deepening relationship between Canberra and Beijing in which Australia this year joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank against the wishes of the US, its key ally.