The war of words between the state government and Andrew Hastie over China has intensified with Premier Mark McGowan doubling down on his criticisms at a business breakfast and one of his most senior advisers forced to delete a social media post suggesting the former SAS captain was "behaving like an absolute deads--t".

Premier Mark McGowan's strategic adviser Mark Reed was forced to take down a tweet referring to federal MP Andrew Hastie as a "deads--t". Credit:Facebook

The dispute erupted following an ABC interview in which Mr McGowan refused to level any criticism at China's authoritarian regime and criticised Mr Hastie's remarks likening the west's handling of Beijing's ambitions to Allied miscalculations in the defence of Western Europe during World War II.

Mr Hastie is chairman of the powerful Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

Just hours after WAtoday published Mr Hastie's reply to the Mr McGowan's comments, the Premier's strategic adviser Mark Reed posted a tweet referring to the spat.