Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has challenged Labor to put forward a concrete proposal for a compromise on the China Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Mr Turnbull has told Sky News the Opposition Leader is at the behest of "scaremongering" by some parts of the union movement.

Loading

"He [Mr Shorten] is just bobbing along like a cork in the slipstream of the CFMEU," Mr Turnbull said this morning.

"We're obviously open to talking to them. They have made no specific proposals."

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has run a campaign against the FTA, warning there will be negative consequences of the deal for Australian jobs.

Federal Labor has echoed that criticism despite pressure from the Coalition, Labor premiers and business leaders who want the deal completed in the interests of economic growth.

Bill Shorten has already requested a meeting with Mr Turnbull to discuss Labor's proposal for changing some measures related to the FTA.

"Invitation stands @TurnbullMalcolm. Let's sit down to talk about proper safeguards for Australian jobs and conditions," he wrote on Twitter today.

The letter outlined Labor's position.

"You would be aware that Labor wants to ensure CHAFTA's migration provisions to not adversely affect job opportunities for Australians," it said.

"I ask you to agree to meet to discuss Labor's proposals for job safeguards around CHAFTA."

'They are singling China out'

Mr Turnbull has accused union detractors of being "aggressively anti-Chinese" and acting against the national interest.

"This is an agreement that opens up all Australian businesses to the world's largest single economy. It is an absolutely fundamental building block for our prosperity.

"Labor really should have to answer exactly why it is that the same arrangements are in the Chile Free Trade Agreement," he said.

"They are really singling China out."

Earlier this week Mr Shorten outlined more details of Labor's position in an interview on the Q&A program.

"We support having a China free trade agreement, so that's good," he said.

"The idea that we expect our negotiators to go back to China and vary the actual terms of the treaty is not what we are saying.

"We are concerned that there are matters arising from the treaty which need to be belt and braced, and I'm talking about the use of temporary labour coming into Australia and that there should be appropriate safeguards around that."

Mr Shorten said he did not want the issue to remain unresolved ahead of a fresh election campaign.

"I certainly don't think it should drag onto the next election."

"Just for the record, the Government only presented the legislation last week, so and there is - and they know that there has been a Senate inquiry set up to review – and there's, sorry, a joint committee of Parliament reviewing the circumstances and the detail of the arrangements and so there hasn't been any undue delay."