Senior Chinese Government officials have publicly attacked Prime Minister Kevin Rudd over his comments on Tibet.
In Washington, Mr Rudd said it was clear that human rights abuses were being committed in Tibet, and today he repeated those claims during a speech at a university in Beijing.
But Chinese Government officials say his comments are unfounded.
Communist Party Central Committee spokesman Si Ta has criticised Mr Rudd at a Beijing press conference.
"The reporter mentioned about the certain politician who expressed concern about China's human rights record. This particular politician should join us in condemning the violent crimes in Lhasa - the crimes that have violated human rights," he said.
Tibetan Regional Government chairman Xiangba Puncog also disagreed with Mr Rudd's comments and echoed Mr Si's view on human rights.
"Australia, or other countries, should have better appreciation and understanding of the fact that people in Tibet are now enjoying democracy and have wonderful human rights protection, and those remarks are totally unfounded," he said.
But Mr Rudd says he will not be backing away from his plan to raise his concerns with the Chinese leadership.
"It's important, as I said in my speech earlier today, to have a relationship that is capable of handling a disagreement and putting views in a straight-forward fashion," he said.
"That's what I said I'd be doing in my remarks earlier today, and that's what I will be doing. I stand by the comments I made earlier on this matter."
He has also supported Australians' right to turn their back on the Olympic flame.
"You know one thing about Australia [is], it's a robust democracy. We live in a free country - people can express their point of view in any manner that they choose," he said.
'A great impact'
In a speech earlier today to Beijing University students, Mr Rudd said he did not support a boycott of the Olympics, but he risked increasing Beijing's ire by talking about other human rights issues and controversies.
"There are still many problems in China. Problems of poverty, problems of uneven development, problems of pollution. Problems of broader human rights," he said.
"It is important to recognise that China's change is having a great impact, not just on China, but also the world."
Mr Rudd described China's social transformation as "unprecedented in human history", but warned his audience that its rise was causing anxiety overseas.
"When people overseas are faced with big changes and uncertainties like these, they get nervous," he said, referring to jobs that have been transferred from other countries to China.
Mr Rudd, who was posted to Beijing previously as a diplomat, is due to meet Premier Wen Jiabao tomorrow and President Hu Jintao at the weekend at an economic forum on the southern Chinese island of Hainan.
He has also said he would seek to work more closely with China on fighting climate change.
