Such a warning echoes the bold moves from China's education and tourism ministries amid an ugly back-and-forth last year with Canberra.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has urged the federal government to continue to push back against coercive behaviour from Beijing.

China says it is "deeply concerned" by what it described as the Australian government's operation of offshore detention centres.

It's a further blow to Australia-China relations with ongoing tension exacerbating.