China's government is ramping up its campaign against Australia's push to build nuclear-powered submarines with the United States and the United Kingdom, publishing a new report which declares the project is a grave risk to non-proliferation and warns that Australia may be intent on developing nuclear weapons.

Two Chinese "think tanks" — the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association and China Institute of Nuclear Industry Strategy — held a press conference in Beijing yesterday with a host of state media outlets to launch the report, which is titled: A Dangerous Conspiracy: The Nuclear Proliferation Risk of the Nuclear-powered Submarines Collaboration in the Context of AUKUS.

The lengthy report berates Australia, the US and the UK for setting a "dangerous precedent" with AUKUS because it would allow nuclear states to transfer weapons-grade nuclear materials to a non-nuclear state for the first time.

"In addition, it ferments potential risks and hazards in multiple aspects such as nuclear security, arms race in nuclear submarines and missile technology proliferation, with a profound negative impact on global strategic balance and stability," the report reads.

Richard McGregor from the Lowy Institute said both think tanks were "part of the broader fabric of the Chinese party-state" — rather than independent entities — and that the report was part of an orchestrated campaign against AUKUS by the Chinese government.

"The [Chinese government] has long been campaigning on this and this report simply tries to flesh out their argument, add weight to it, and give them a document they can distribute to any country they want around the world to make their case," he said.

"Any roadblocks they can put in the way of AUKUS, they will put them there. We should expect this thing to happen for the next decade or so. China won't let up."

Australia has already boosted resources in both Canberra and Vienna to help bolster its diplomatic defences against Russian and Chinese campaigns against the project.

However, Mr McGregor said the "uncomfortable fact" for Australia was that China "had an argument to make" when it pointed out that AUKUS would set a new precedent.