Foreign Minister Bob Carr has opened Australia's fourth diplomatic mission in China in the thriving western metropolis of Chengdu, saying it will provide a launching pad into the region's fast paced growth.

He said China's fastest-growing cities, and seven of the top eight provinces, were situated inland, and the consulate in Chengdu would help ''press Australian businesses into western China'', particularly as the bilateral economic relationship moved beyond resources-dominated trade.

''The fact is that this is a relationship between Australia and the new urbanised China,'' Senator Carr said. ''As hundreds of more millions Chinese gravitate to these great cities, there will be a need for Australian goods and services.''

But he repeated a warning from his department from a briefing paper in April, which said it was concerned business disputes had resulted in criminal charges, which was ''putting considerable strain on the bilateral relationship''.

''With the rising level of trade in the two countries, there's probably no surprise that the number of commercial disputes have been rising, and we want to provide guidance on how best to manage this challenge,'' Senator Carr said.