Australia won't link its review of Chinese companies' recent plans to invest in Australia's mining companies with free-trade talks between the two countries, Australia Trade Minister Simon Crean said Tuesday.

"We are making no such connection," Crean said after meeting with China Commerce Minister Chen Deming in Beijing Monday.

In recent months, Chinese companies have announced plans to invest in Australia's mining companies, including Aluminum Corp. of China's plan to invest US$19.5 billion in Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto PLC (RTP), which would mark the biggest ever overseas investment by a Chinese company.

Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan Friday blocked China Minmetals Nonferrous Metals Co.'s planned A$2.6 billion takeover of OZ Minerals Ltd. (OZL.AU), because the miner's flagship Prominent Hill operations are in a military zone.

The Australian miner said Tuesday it received a fresh, but incomplete proposal from China Minmetals, which on completion would result in the Chinese company acquiring all of OZ Minerals' assets except for Prominent Hill, the Martabe gold-silver project in Indonesia, and the company's portfolio of listed assets.

Crean said Swan's decision didn't affect the "atmosphere" of his meeting with Chen.

"Mr. Chen fully accepts that Australia reserves the rights to making decisions with regard of national interests," Crean said.

Crean reiterated that Australia needs a framework for foreign investment, especially with China, its second-largest trading partner.

"Given the importance of investment between these two countries, it is important to look at a new investment framework within an FTA," he said.

China and Australia held a 13th round of FTA negotiations in December, but have yet to reach an agreement.

-Juan Chen contributed to this story; Dow Jones Newswires; 8610 6588 5848; juan.chen@dowjones.com