Beijing: Julie Bishop has arrived to a frosty reception in Beijing after being rapped over Australia's stance on the South China Sea ahead of a series of high-level meetings in the Chinese capital.

Australia's foreign minister, who arrived in Beijing late on Tuesday night, had made clear during a preceding trip to Tokyo that she intended to push her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi for clarification on how China intended to use its man-made islands in the disputed waters, the product of an audaciously rapid land reclamation programme that has riled its neighbours.

The Philippines, a rival claimant, has challenged Beijing at an arbitration court in The Hague over China's territorial claims. Beijing has repeatedly said it will not recognise the case and defended its right to build on what it considers to be its sovereign territory.