Australia, China not yet ready to tackle trade disputes - Chinese envoy

Australia and China have not yet reached the point of talking about how to resolve their trade disputes, the Chinese ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, said on Wednesday.

"Currently, there have been top level communications ... even face-to-face contacts but we have not yet come to the stage to discuss about how to solve those specific issues," he told reporters in Canberra, the capital.

Australia's diplomatic ties with its largest trading partner are at a low ebb after the two clashed over issues such as trade, the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and Australia's accusations of Chinese political interference.