UPDATE 2-Senior Australian official asks China to remove trade impediments

(Recasts with more comment, changes dateline to SYDNEY) SYDNEY, Jan 20(Reuters) – Australia’s Assistant Minister for Trade Tim Ayres called for the removal of China’s “trade impediments” on Australian exports in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, his office said. China’s Xinhua news agency earlier reported that Thursday’s meeting between Australian and Chinese officials had agreed that trade ministers from the two nations will hold virtual discussions “in the near future.” No date has been set for the video meeting between Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and his Australian counterpart, Don Farrell,…