China inked a similar FTA with the Republic of Korea in the beginning of June.

As far, China has signed 14 FTAs involving 22 countries and regions in the world, including New Zealand, ASEAN countries, Hong Kong and Switzerland.

Tu Xinquan, associate director of the China Institute of WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, deemed the long-awaited agreement as a milestone in China's efforts to promote regional integration.

The two countries have enjoyed increasingly closer economic ties after forging diplomatic relations over four decades ago. China is now Australia's largest trading partner, export market and source of imports.

Bilateral trade volume increased to 136.9 billion U.S. dollars last year, 16 times that of the year of 2000. Chinese enterprises had invested nearly 75 billion U.S. dollars in Australia by 2014, making it the second largest investment destination only after Hong Kong.

MUTUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The ChAFTA will facilitate the flow of capital and benefit industries and consumers in both countries, as well as bring unprecedented opportunities to companies.

"The pact means China will open its vast market to Australian farm produce exporters and services providers, while resource-rich Australia will lower threshold to Chinese investors," Tu said.

The agreement will lift the screening threshold for private Chinese investments in non-sensitive sectors in Australia to facilitate investment from the world's second largest economy.

"The ChAFTA will greatly lower hurdles for Chinese investment," said Li Jian, a foreign trade researcher with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

David Liao Yi-chien, president and CEO of HSBC China, expected an increasing number of Chinese private firms to invest based on bonuses provided by the agreement.

"More investment will go to sectors such as services, tourism, agriculture and infrastructure," he said.

The pact will also boost cross-border renminbi settlement by Australian companies. Liao said it will help build Australia into a center for offshore renminbi settlement.