Tanya Plibersek has defended the ABC against Tony Abbott's attacks and the speculated termination of the broadcaster's $223 million Australia Network contract.

The Prime Minister's attacks on the ABC, in which he accused the broadcaster of lacking sufficient patriotism in its journalism, were now escalating into a "petty tit-for-tat exchange" which threatened the ABC's soft diplomacy arm, Ms Plibersek said.

"Before the election, the government were very clear that they wouldn't be cutting funding to the ABC.