Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says China needs to be more transparent about its military intentions.

The communist state on Thursday celebrated the 60th anniversary of Mao Zedong proclaiming the founding of the People's Republic.

In a patriotic show of force to mark the event, China unveiled sophisticated weaponry including new intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Mr Smith said that while military modernisation was to be expected, as China's economy grew, the world's most populous nation needed to be open about its military intentions.

"What we have indicated to China, in the past and into the future, is that there's nothing wrong with military modernisation provided that's transparent to the region and transparent to China's neighbours," he told Sky News on Thursday.

Asked if China had been transparent enough, Mr Smith said: "Frankly, we think there could be more of that."

He added that China's 60th anniversary was a "remarkable achievement".

"One of the remarkable features of the achievement have been of course the exponential economic growth."

Mr Smith said Chinese-born Australian Rio Tinto mining executive Stern Hu, who was detained in July, was being well looked after.

"He was seen by consular officers in the last couple of days in Shanghai. He continues to be well," he said.

"He had a minor ailment in the last month or so but that's now been treated."

Australia is continuing to urge China to speed up Mr Hu's case, which is now before the Chinese legal and judicial system.

"He's well but he, just as we, would want the matter dealt with as quickly as possible."

Earlier on Thursday, Trade Minister Simon Crean said China has not forgotten that Australia was one of the first nations to officially recognise the People's Republic.

"They haven't forgotten that, and I think it has been an underpinning of the strength of the relationship that really has developed ... since," Mr Crean told ABC Radio.

Part of that role was to encourage China to have a greater involvement with the rest of the world, Labor backbencher Maxine McKew said.

"In 60 years, China has made remarkable progress, remarkable economic development, remarkable human development," she told Sky News on Thursday.

"But the most important thing is that the Chinese continue to integrate into the global community."

Mr Crean added the relationship between Australia and China had gone "from strength to strength".

Liberal senator Simon Birmingham disagreed, saying a relationship of mutual exchange had evolved into one of "over-embrace" by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Mr Crean also dismissed accusations that Australia's foreign investment rules are racist towards China as "absolute nonsense".

Queensland mining magnate Clive Palmer launched a scathing attack on the Rudd government on Tuesday, saying it extended "racist" policies towards Asia.

He told the Queensland Media Club that American investments in Australia are allowed to unfairly by-pass strict approval processes because of the free trade agreement between the two countries.

Mr Crean said American investments were treated differently but claims that the rules are racist were "absolute nonsense".

"We run a non-discriminatory policy," Mr Crean told ABC radio.

"Large investments from whichever source have to meet a national interest test and there has been huge approval of Chinese investment into Australia.

"I just wish people such as Mr Palmer would get his facts right."