Australia's domestic spy chief warned the nation's major political parties last year that some of their donors had strong links to the Chinese Government.

Key points: ASIO chief briefed major political parties in 2015

ASIO chief briefed major political parties in 2015 Donors believed acting on behalf of Chinese Government

Donors believed acting on behalf of Chinese Government Long-term goal to urge rethink of alliance with US

The ABC has confirmed that the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Duncan Lewis, personally briefed former Liberal federal director Brian Loughnane, outgoing Labor secretary George Wright and the Nationals' federal director Scott Mitchell on the national security risks posed by foreign-linked donations.

The verbal briefing included naming donors his agency believed were acting on behalf of the Chinese Government.

None of the party leaders would comment on the meetings.

It comes as pressure grows for a ban on foreign donations to Australian political parties.

Labor frontbencher Stephen Conroy has called on the Prime Minister to commit to electoral donation reform.

"Ban foreign companies from actually being able to donate at all," Senator Conroy said.

"We're one of a very small number of countries who actually don't ban this practice."

The security warning to party chiefs is another indicator of the growing concern in intelligence agencies about the use of "soft power" in Australia.

That includes donations to politicians and universities, urging community groups to press Beijing's cause, increasing control over Chinese language media and buying space in mainstream media.

The immediate goal is to push China's case for control of the South China Sea and, long-term, to urge a rethink of Australia's alliance with the United States.

Dastyari under fire after Chinese donor covered travel bill

The issue has blown up in Parliament with Labor Senator Sam Dastyari admitting he made a mistake in accepting $1,600 from Top Education to pay for an overspend on his travel bill.

"On reflection I should have paid that amount myself," the Senator told the Upper House.

"I take full responsibility and have donated that amount to charity."

Senator Cory Bernardi said Senator Dastyari still had questions to answer and said there was a "whiff of corruption" about the payment.

Chinese Ambassador Cheng Jingye was asked about the issue of political donations yesterday.

"We are not in a position to interfere with your internal affairs," he said.

"For the embassy, we stand ready to work with all parties here in this country to have better relations, to have more fruitful relations based on mutual trust and mutual benefit."

It is not Senator Dastyari's only call on cash from companies with strong links to the Chinese Government.

They have also picked up the tab for his entertainment and one, Yuhu Group, paid a $5,000 legal bill for the senator.

Chinese community 'seen by politicians as cash cows'

The chairman of that company, Huang Xiangmo, has been a generous donor to all major parties.

This week he hit out at the ABC's reporting on China linked donations in the Beijing-based communist party mouthpiece, The Global Times.

"In respect of so-called 'China-linked' political donations, some major Australian media have recently made a fuss, claiming this 'could possibly skew Australian democracy'. However, in fact 'possibly skewing Australian democracy' is precisely what these baseless accusations, verging on racism, have done," he wrote.

He said the Chinese community were seen by politicians of all parties as "cash cows".

"And after they are elected, as there is no demand for 'milk', there is no need to look after the interests of the Chinese community".

He concluded that the Australian Chinese community needed:

"To learn from other ethnic groups, particularly in how to ensure that their political demands and political donations are more organically and effectively linked, and how to use the media to express and spread their own political demands."

When approached by the ABC for comment on the article, the company issued a statement saying "the chairman expected absolutely nothing in return for donations".

"He has made the point that the Australian Chinese community had a strong contribution to make to political and policy debate in this country yet it was unfair that some saw the contribution extending only to political donations," the statement said.