Chinese government officials and business leaders see Australia as a safe and secure place to invest, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says.
Mr Shorten is on his first trip to China as opposition leader, holding talks with senior officials and business executives.
The trip comes amid coalition accusations that Labor played on xenophobia, and especially fears of Chinese investment, during the NSW election campaign.
Trade Minister Andrew Robb also last week warned the scrapping of major projects, such as Melbourne's East West Link, by Labor state governments could lead to foreign investors seeing Australia as a risky business environment.
However, Mr Shorten said there was a "deep reservoir" of goodwill between China and Australia.
People he had spoken with had a favourable opinion of Australia as a land of "huge opportunities".
Mr Shorten said China understood that national security interests would always play a part in any Australian assessment of foreign investment.
"I can't give a blank cheque to all foreign investment and I wouldn't - I'm committed to our national interest first and foremost," he told Sky News from Beijing on Tuesday.
"But as a general principle, whether or not money is raised domestically in Australia or from overseas to purchase businesses and to invest hasn't been for me the issue.
"The issue is, are there jobs being created in Australia, are there opportunities for Australians?"
Mr Shorten said Chinese officials had confirmed economic growth would ease to between six and seven per cent in the next few years.
But there were still many opportunities for Australian investment in China in educational, clean energy and infrastructure.
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