Australia admits tensions with China but denies 'deep chill'

SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia's prime minister admitted Thursday bubbling tensions with China over allegations of Beijing meddling in domestic politics, but denied there was a ''deep chill'' in relations after reports ministers were being refused visas.

Bilateral ties took a dive late last year when Canberra announced wideranging reforms to espionage and foreign interference legislation, singling out China as a focus of concern.

It sparked a furious response from Beijing, which summoned Australia's ambassador and attacked local media stories about infiltration, describing them as fabrications based on hysteria and paranoia.

The ice has yet to thaw, with another spat in January prompting Beijing to lodge a formal diplomatic protest after a senior Australian minister called Chinese infrastructure projects in the Pacific ''white elephants''.

The Australian Financial Review said Thursday China's leadership was so incensed by Canberra's rhetoric that it was regularly refusing visas to ministers and a major annual showcase of Australian trade and business in China looked certain to be abandoned this year.

The newspaper characterized it as a deep chill with the country's top trading partner, but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was keen to play the story down.

''There has certainly has been a degree of tension in the relationship that has arisen because of criticism in China about our foreign interference laws,'' he told the radio station 3AW in Melbourne.

''All I would say is there has clearly been some misunderstandings and mischaracterizations of our foreign interference legislation in the Chinese media.''