CANBERRA, Aug 25 (Reuter) - Several Australian companies expect to sign lucrative deals with China during a trade mission this week, Trade Minister Tim Fischer said on Sunday.

Fischer, who will lead the Australian delegation, plans to meet senior members of the Chinese government during his seven-day visit to Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian and Guangzhou, beginning on Wednesday.

"A number of commercial deals are expected to be signed," Fischer said in a statement. No further details were available.

Fischer is arriving in Shanghai on an inaugural Sydney-Shanghai flight by Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd, which the government says is a sign of growing trade links between the two countries.

"The extended trade visit reflects the growing importance of Australia's trade relations with China and it is an added boost to have direct air links between Australia and China spreading to include key hubs such as Shanghai," Fischer said.

China is Australia's sixth-largest trading partner, with two-way trade totalling A$6.6 billion (US$5.2 billion) in the fiscal year to June 30, 1995, the last full year for which figures were available.

Trade more than doubled between 1990/91 and 1994/95, rising to A$6.6 billion from A$2.8 billion.

But relations between the two countries have chilled in recent months over a range of diplomatic and security issues.

Beijing has protested against the axing of an Australian soft loan aid scheme, plans for an Australian minister to visit Taiwan, a new security pact between Canberra and Washington and the planned visit to Australia next month by exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Australian Defence Minister Ian McLachlan, in a newspaper interview published on Saturday, criticised what he said was China's increasingly assertive foreign policy, warning it could scare much-needed foreign investment away.

His comments came as Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer was in Beijing, trying to smoothe relations. Downer, on a four-day visit to China, on Friday announced an agreement with China to expand the two countries' security dialogue.

Fischer will visit Hong Kong from September 4-5 before flying home.

REUTER