Canberra, Jun 5 (IANS): A group of Australian journalists have been denied Chinese visa to travel this week because of "frosty" diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Five to eight journalists, including veteran political reporter Paul Bongiorno, had been due to leave for China on Thursday on a trip with Bob Carr from the Australia China Relations Institute, reports the Guardian.

Each year the institute headed by Carr takes a delegation of journalists on a China trip.

Carr told the Australian Broadcasting Corp on Tuesday that after speaking to China's ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye last week, he discovered that the visas were being blocked because of the "frosty" diplomatic relations.

"It has turned out to be more than a bureaucratic challenge; (it is a) policy position," Carr said.

Australia's relationship with China has come under considerable strain in the past 18 months as Canberra's focus on Beijing's influence in domestic affairs has increased, the Guardian reported.

In March 2017, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop gave a speech in Singapore in which she warned China that "democracy and democratic institutions are essential for nations if they are to reach their economic potential".

In December, the government introduced its foreign interference and espionage bills to parliament, both of which were explicitly tied to fears of Chinese influence.