Australia’s longest-serving foreign minister says China has been hacking the nation for a "very long time", after Australia's spy chief copped a spray from Beijing for “irresponsibly” publicising their espionage strategy.

ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said a country, “no prizes for guessing who”, was attempting high-impact sabotage against critical infrastructure, during a speech on Wednesday.

The Communist Party’s foreign industry spokesman Guo Jiakun took a thinly-veiled swipe at Mr Burgess in response, saying: “It’s hoped that the Australian official can stop making irresponsible statements and do more things conducive to the healthy development of China-Australia relations”.

Alexander Downer, Liberal foreign minister from 1996 to 2007, said Mr Burgess was right to condemn C

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