Police have clashed with Tibetan and Uyghur activists outside the Chinese embassy where the group was protesting against the visit of Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Federal police officers had to remove several protesters holding Tibetan and Uyghur flags and chanting anti-Chinese government slogans outside the embassy's compound.

Protest organiser Tsewang Thupten told the crowd it was important to send a strong message to the visiting Chinese dignitary about his country's appalling human rights record. 

"We will never be silent! We will never be silent. We will have courage. We will have courage. We will never stop! We will never stop!" protesters chanted.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who met with Chinese counterpart Mr Wang earlier on Tuesday, told media that she pressed him about the suspended death sentence handed to Australian writer Yang Hengjun, and also on unwinding its remaining restrictions on Australian's goods.

Senator Wong and Mr Wang sat down for lengthy and wide-ranging discussions in Canberra on Wednesday morning. 

Both ministers opened the meeting by acknowledging that their countries still have deep differences.

But Mr Wang said those differences shouldn't "define" the relationship, while Senator Wong stressed that dialogue was critical to keeping it on an even keel.

"A stable relationship between Australia and China doesn't just happen, it needs ongoing work," Senator Wong told journalists after the meeting.

Senator Wong said she again raised the government's deep concerns over the death sentence handed to Australian writer Yang Hengjun last month.

"I told the foreign minister Australians were shocked at the sentence imposed and I made clear to him the Australian government will continue to advocate on Dr Yang's behalf," she said.

But she wouldn't be drawn on whether Australia was pressing for China to release Dr Yang and allow him to return home, or simply wanted to ensure he was spared the death penalty.

Beijing has already signalled it will soon withdraw heavy tariffs on Australian wine, but Senator Wong said she'd pressed Mr Wang to also roll back barriers that remain on rock lobsters and some meatworks.

On Wednesday, Mr Wang appeared to link China's decision to unwind wine tariffs to Australia's decision to let tariffs on Chinese wind towers lapse, but Senator Wong insisted during her press conference that the two issues were not linked in any way.

"We'll continue to advocate for all trade impediments to be removed. We think it's in both countries' interests," she said.

Senator Wong also said that Australia and China would "expand dialogue in key areas such as the Pacific, climate and energy cooperation and to enhance understanding and transparency", although it's not clear right now what shape those talks will take.

The foreign minister told journalists she also expressed "serious concern" to Mr Wang about "unsafe conduct at sea" and highlighted Australia's "desire for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and in our region."

Australia has backed the Philippines in its dispute with Beijing over the South China Sea, where Chinese coastguard vessels have been trying to force Philippine ships out of contested waters, despite an international ruling against its claims to the region.

She also said that plans for the Chinese premier to visit Australia later this year were "on track."

That visit is widely expected to happen around the middle of the year, although that hasn't yet been publicly confirmed by either country.

Earlier, Mr Wang used his opening remarks at the beginning of the meeting to declare that both China and Australia should "seek commonality or shelve differences" in the wake of several "twists and turns" in ties.

"So, we should also not only face differences and express them squarely but also manage and rise above those differences."

In a thinly veiled reference to the United States, he also stressed that Australia should maintain an "independent" foreign policy and that "third parties" should not try to "disrupt" ties between Canberra and Beijing.

Beijing has repeatedly accused the US of trying to corral Australia into a new military bloc with the aim of containing China, and has excoriated the federal government's plan to develop nuclear powered submarines under the AUKUS pact.

"The most valuable (thing) is to stay committed to independence," he said.

"I trust that independence is also a fundamental principle in Australia's foreign policy.

"The development of our relations does not target any third party and should not be disrupted or affected by any third party."