Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Monday that Australia would gain nothing if it raised human rights issues with China in possible talks about a free trade agreement.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Sunday hinted Australia would soon sign up to formal talks on a free trade deal with China.

"If you try to get into a trade negotiation ... if you make human rights issues conditions of trade negotiations that will be rejected with China, or for that matter with any other country," he told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio.

"You're not going to succeed in getting the human rights agenda mixed with the trade agenda," he said.

"You won't get the free trade agreement and you won't get any improvements in human rights," he said.

"So it's a symbolic thing to do but it would be utterly fruitless," said the foreign minister.

Downer said formal free trade talks would only begin after the Australian government decided whether it would recognize China as a free market economy.