The trade ministers of Australia and China will hold a virtual meeting next week, Australian broadcaster ABC reported on Tuesday, without citing sources.

The reported meeting between Wang Wentao and his Australian counterpart Don Farrell would be the first between the trade ministers of both nations in three years.

Relations between the two countries are improving after years of strained ties.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the G20 summit last November.

Farrell's office did not immediately respond to request for comment.

The Xinhua news agency reported that the meeting at Davos between Australian and Chinese officials had agreed that trade ministers from the two nations would hold virtual discussions "in the near future."

Earlier this month, several Chinese utilities received permission to begin importing Australian coal, more than two years after China put unofficial bans on coal, rock lobsters and other commodities. (Reuters)