If the China-Australia free trade agreement proceeds without labour market protections, the Turnbull government will "effectively surrender autonomy over its migration laws" and invite a wave of Chinese workers into Australia, driving down local wages and conditions, a new report has found.

The politically-explosive findings are contained in a report by employment migration expert Dr Joanna Howe, a senior law lecturer at Adelaide University and Rhodes Scholar who has advised the current Coalition government on its temporary worker 457 visa program.

Dr Howe's report – the result of three months spent sifting through the FTA and its attachments – found the agreement negotiated by Trade Minister Andrew Robb "greatly increases the pathways for Chinese workers to enter the Australian labour market".

The report was commissioned by the Electrical Trades Union but states that the union had "no editorial input into the researching and writing of the report". Dr Howe told Fairfax Media: "I stand by every word."