The Chinese foreign minister has urged Australia to "take off coloured glasses" and be more positive about his country's development.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi had talks with Julie Bishop on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Argentina on Tuesday morning.
Relations with China have soured in the past year and Beijing is especially cranky about Australia's foreign interference laws.
Mr Wang acknowledged China-Australia relations have "encountered some difficulties".
"If Australia sincerely hopes that the relations between the two countries will return to the right track ... they must break away from traditional thinking, take off their coloured glasses, and look at China's development from a positive angle," Mr Wang said, according to a translated press statement.
His statement quoted Ms Bishop describing recent negative Australian media reports as inaccurate and not reflecting the Turnbull government's position.
Ms Bishop insists she had a warm and positive discussion with Mr Wang but the tone of his statement was less enthusiastic.
Their hour-long sit-down canvassed security, trade and economic issues, as well as North Korea and the South China Sea.
"It was very warm and candid and constructive," Ms Bishop told ABC radio on Tuesday.
Mr Wang told Ms Bishop he was looking forward to hosting her for their annual talks, to be held this year in Beijing.
Ms Bishop acknowledged countries don't always see eye-to-eye but said Australia's relationship with China is strong and said she and Mr Wang discussed new areas of co-operation.
Last week, Chinese communist party mouthpiece The Global Times said Australia-China relations were "among the worst of all Western nations."
Goldcoast CEO Mark Evans, Australian Trade Minister Steven Ciobo MP and Port CEO Keith Thomas at an AFL Shanghai media conference. Source: AAP
No Australian minister had visited the Chinese mainland for eight months until Trade Minister Steve Ciobo broke the drought last week.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is expected to visit China later in the year, but Ms Bishop did not shed light on any timing.
Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong has accused the federal government of "clumsy" handling of Canberra's ties with Beijing.
