Australia talks of MH17, China during G-20 Summit

Australia Prime Minister Tony Abbott raised the issue of the downing of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 with Russia during the G-20 Summit held here. He also hailed the transformation of China

"I had a very robust discussion about MH17 with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Other leaders had very robust discussions with President Putin in the last 24 hours or so about Ukraine. But all said and done, President Putin was a guest in our country, President Putin is a member of the G-20, I was happy to treat him with respect and courtesy while he was in Australia," Abbott told the media after the summit here.

Prime Minister Abbott also hailed China's transformation, calling that nation's rise as 'extraordinary', ahead of Canberra and Beijing signing a free-trade agreement.

"I want to make it absolutely crystal clear here as I always do that the transformation of China, the lifting of hundreds of millions of people from poverty to middle class is perhaps the most extraordinary advance in human welfare in all of history, and it has been done peacefully. Isn't that extraordinary? Isn't that absolutely extraordinary?" he asked.

According to reports, Australia is attempting to shift from exporting minerals like coal and iron ore to expanding its food and agricultural exports to Asia. In such a transition, the free trade agreement with China would be a huge boost.