Australian Trade Minister, Chinese Minister discuss LNG supply pact: Report

Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile said he has discussed with his Chinese counterpart this week on an Australian bid to supply liquefied natural gas to China 's first import facility, Dow Jones reported Friday.

Speaking from Los Angeles, Vaile told journalists he had good discussions on the matter with Lu Fuyuan, China 's Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, on the sidelines of an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum ministerial meeting in Mexico.

Vaile raised a number of issues including "particularly again reconfirming our government support for the Australian bid for the LNG contract.?

The discussion comes after a visit by Prime Minister John Howard to Beijing last week to lobby Chinese leaders on behalf of Australia 's North West Shelf project.

A decision on this contract is imminent.

China is assessing which of three consortia will supply 3 million metric tons of LNG to China 's first import terminal in Guangdong province, a contract potentially valued at A$750 million a year.

Australia 's North West Shelf project is competing against Qatar 's Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Co. and BP PLC's Tangguh project in Indonesia for the supply contract in Guangdong province. (*)