With Australia in the midst of a dispute with China, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has warned the country is a “very different China” to what it has been in the past.

It comes after intelligence photos revealed China is building a huge nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile complex.

Professor of politics and security at Curtain University, Joseph Siracusa, says Australia’s current dispute with China is “really unusual”.

“I’ve been in this country 48 years and I haven’t seen China actually single out anybody like Australia, so Australia has really been irritating the hell out of China,” he told Stephen Quartermain and Emily Power, filling in for Ross and Russel.

“You’ve got people in the Australian government who are talking about war drums.

“Be very careful about going to war with China.”

Professor Siracusa says Canberra would be wise to diffuse tensions with Beijing.

“The Chinese have this enormous leverage on Australia and the only thing keeping us afloat is iron ore … that’s the last thing we’ve got,” he said.

“Australia is going to have to be very cool about this. I think we need a reset.

“When the Chinese insult us we ought to just look the other way.”

Press PLAY below to hear more from Professor Siracusa on Australia’s relationship with China