China's Foreign Minister has told Julie Bishop that Australia needs to remove its "tinted glasses" and "translate its words into concrete actions" to improve ties after tensions over Beijing's anger with recent political moves by Canberra.

Key points: Julie Bishop was in contrast upbeat about the exchange with the Chinese Foreign Minister

Julie Bishop was in contrast upbeat about the exchange with the Chinese Foreign Minister The ministers had the exchange on the sidelines of the G20 conference in Argentina

The ministers had the exchange on the sidelines of the G20 conference in Argentina Australia and China's diplomatic ties have suffered over a range of issues

The terse remarks followed a meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Ms Bishop on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' conference in Argentina, and produced markedly different responses from the two sides.

Foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang quoted Mr Wang as telling Ms Bishop that Australia needed to "take off tinted glasses [and] see China's development from a positive perspective" if it really wanted to get relations back on track.

"Tinted glasses" is Chinese diplomatic shorthand for what it sees as Western bias.

"China-Australia relations have gone through difficulties recently, which even inflicted impacts on bilateral cooperation in some aspects. That is not what we want," Mr Lu quoted Mr Wang as saying.

"We hope Australia will genuinely translate its words into concrete actions.

"Australia must correct its understanding first in order to promote the development of China-Australia relations."

Wang Yi and Julie Bishop met on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' conference in Argentina. ( AP: Natacha Pisarenko )

Ms Bishop, in contrast, was upbeat about the exchange, describing it as "very warm and candid and constructive".

"I get on very well with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, we've known each other for a very long time," she told the ABC.

"Australia will continue to approach our bilateral relationship with goodwill and realism and pragmatism and open communication."

China is Australia's most important trading partner but diplomatic ties have suffered over a range of issues, including proposed legislation to ban foreign interference in Australian politics that followed accusations of meddling by Beijing and its proxies.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was accused of making prejudiced remarks against China. ( ABC News: Luke Stephenson )

The Chinese foreign ministry said then that remarks on the legislation by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull were prejudiced against China and had poisoned the atmosphere of China-Australia relations.

Following his visit to Argentina, Mr Wang was due to hold talks on Wednesday in Washington, DC, amid trade tensions with the US and questions surrounding a summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, the leader of Chinese ally North Korea, planned for next month.

Ms Bishop has not visited China in two years and although Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Australia last year, that did little to improve ties.

Mr Li visited to ask the Government to ratify an extradition treaty so Chinese fugitives from China's anti-corruption campaign could no longer use Australia as a safe haven.

But the treaty was shelved a week later because it was doomed to be blocked in the Senate over human rights concerns.

AP