Bill Shorten wants Australia to have a more sophisticated relationship with China after Scott Morrison referred to the Asian nation as "customers".
The prime minister made the comments when describing how Australia can maintain good relationships with China and the United States despite trade tensions between the two great powers.
"You don't have to pick sides in that. You don't have to walk away from the relationships that you have," Mr Morrison told reporters in Sydney on Monday.
"You stand by your friends and you stand by your customers as well."
China takes a significant amount of Australia's exports, but has also faced accusations of attempts to interfere in Australia's politics.
Mr Shorten said Australia and the US are long-standing allies, but that didn't mean China should be written off.
"I think we need a bit more sophistication from the people who want to be prime minister than simply telling one of the largest countries on earth that we just see you as 'customers,'" Mr Shorten told reporters in Gosford.
"I don't look at China, or Japan, or Korea or Indonesia just as customers. I see them as very complex, dynamic societies.
"I see a much more sophisticated relationship than viewing China as some sort of customer going through the Australian Mc-drive-through and saying, 'What can we get from you?'"
The US has imposed $200 billion worth of tariffs on China after the two countries were not able to secure a trade deal.
Australia's export industries rely heavily on trade with China, but the political relationship has been rocky in the past two years.
"We manage that relationship in a very pragmatic way, but one based on the values that we share and the aspirations that we have for Australia to pursue its own national interest," Mr Morrison said.
