Beijing: The Abbott government has suffered the ignominy of having its asylum seeker policy publicly criticised by another foreign government – this time China, a country with its own chequered human rights record.

In a sign of lingering bilateral tension between Australia and its largest trading partner, China’s vice-minister of foreign affairs, Li Baodong, said he was concerned about the “very important issue” of the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, especially children, who arrive in Australia by boat.

Criticisms: Li Baodong, China's vice-minister of foreign affairs. Credit:AP

“Indeed, we have proposed this question very candidly and also stated our concerns,” Mr Li told reporters in Beijing. “We also asked if these refugees will be illegally repatriated to other countries.”

Serious questions have been raised about Australia’s policy of removing asylum seekers to offshore detention centres after violent clashes on Manus Island that left one asylum seeker dead, another shot and scores severely injured.