Concerns groups supporting the Chinese Communist Party have infiltrated pro-democracy movements on university campuses have prompted the creation of a new Federal Government taskforce.

Key points: The Federal Government has created a taskforce to assess foreign interference at universities

The Federal Government has created a taskforce to assess foreign interference at universities The taskforce will investigate cybersecurity and theft of research and intellectual property

The taskforce will investigate cybersecurity and theft of research and intellectual property It will also investigate reports pro-China activists have infiltrated pro-democracy movements

Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan announced the new measure, which he said would be a collaboration between government, security agencies and the university sector.

He said it would have a wide-ranging role in looking at foreign interference in the nation's education sector, from assessing cybersecurity to the theft of research and intellectual property.

Mr Tehan said he was concerned at recent reports that information about pro-democracy students had been collected during protests about China.

"One of the things that the taskforce will be doing will be looking at security on our university campuses, to make sure that students can go about their business freely, and be able to express their views freely," he said.

Punches were thrown at the University of Queensland last month as students clashed over their views on China and pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

Videos posted on social media showed shouting and abuse that turned to violence, with the four-hour standoff ending when police convinced both groups to go home.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 50 seconds 50 s Students clash over their views on China at the University of Queensland

Government backbenchers have warned that universities are too reliant on international students and are not doing enough to combat China's influence.

Those comments followed pro-Beijing rallies staged in several Australian cities against Hong Kong's democracy movement — rallies which were praised by Chinese Government-controlled media — and come just days after Liberal MP Andrew Hastie warned about China's activities.

The taskforce's creation also comes after China was linked to a massive data hack at the Australian National University, which accessed personal details of staff and students dating back 19 years.

Australian universities will receive extra support to curb foreign interference in their institutions and research projects.

Mr Tehan said while Australia had strong research partnerships with countries such as China, he feared universities were at risk of becoming complacent about the threats they faced.

"What we've got to understand is that occasionally what people will be looking to do, or what countries may be looking to do, is look at our intellectual property and then use it for their particular means, rather than for the greater global good or for the good of Australia," he said.

Unions urge delay to Hong Kong FTA amid pro-democracy protests

As the Federal Government moves to ease concerns about pro-democracy crackdown on the nation's university campuses, unions are urging it to delay ratifying a free trade agreement with Hong Kong in the face of political unrest and protests.

Australia signed a free trade deal with Hong Kong before the current tensions over Chinese interference in the special administrative region kicked off.

As part of the usual parliamentary processes, that deal has to be ratified by Parliament. It is currently being scrutinised by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties.

Unions have been wary of free trade agreements in the past, but are particularly wary about this deal.

"Given the escalating events taking place in Hong Kong, the ACTU calls on the government to delay the enabling legislation," ACTU President Michelle O'Neil said.

"At a time of growing international uncertainty around trade, it is important that Australia treads cautiously with regard to an agreement with a territory that is experiencing significant political upheaval and instability."

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) told the committee there was no commitment in the deal international human and labour rights, something particularly concerning given the current protests.

Business groups have called for the agreement to be ratified as soon as possible, given Hong Kong's importance as a trading partner.

Hong Kong was Australia's 12th largest trade destination, with two-way trade worth close to $18 billion dollars in 2018.

Liberal MP and committee chairman Dave Sharma said the unions were opposed to the free trade agreement, even if there was no unrest in Hong Kong.

"An FTA with Hong Kong will help shore up its unique status under "one country, two systems"," he tweeted.

"Their opposition is to free trade."