Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has hit back at claims from his NSW counterpart Adam Marshall that he needs to do more to help ease trade tensions with China.
Mr Marshall said late last week it was "absolutely plain as day that the China trade war is affecting NSW agriculture" and Mr Littleproud was not doing enough to help remedy the situation.
"I don't know what the Commonwealth Government has done to China, I'm not aware of the delicate nature of that relationship, but I must say I am pretty disappointed with the response of the Commonwealth Government so far," he said.
"In particular the [federal] agriculture minister David Littleproud.
However, Mr Littleproud said the NSW Northern Tablelands MP's comments were "ill informed" and "irresponsible".
"It is reckless for state politicians to make comment on complex foreign matters that they have limited understanding of," Mr Littleproud said.
"Adam Marshall needs to know the federal government will not compromise our sovereignty to any foreign power or for that matter to any of the 14 reported lists of demands from Chinese authorities.
"The trade minister and I are working through these issues with industry who have shown great maturity and ill informed irresponsible comments by state politicians only add to the complexity of the situation."
The Nationals deputy leader told Sydney radio station 2GB on Monday that while there hadn't been any progress made at a ministerial level, there was still progress on the issue.
"At a ministerial level we continue to have our hand out ready to talk - we won't turn our back," he said.
"The best way to resolve any issue is through dialogue, whether that be internationally or even at home.
"So, we'll continue to do that, but we will not, we will not compromise on our values and principles or our sovereignty.
"There are hundreds of thousands of Australians who lost their lives protecting that, and any nation around the globe that thinks Australia will ever, ever relent on that, they are truly and surely mistaken."