AUSTRALIAN military bases could be hit by long-range Chinese missiles in revenge for supporting Taiwan, Beijing propaganda warns.

It comes as experts say Australia's vast north is mostly "undefended" and urgent reinforcements are needed amid warnings a full-scale war with China could be only a decade away.

Tensions between Beijing and Canberra have been heightened in recent months by a trade war and a blame game over the coronavirus pandemic.

Now there are threats of "punishment" missile strikes if Australia supports US action to defend Taiwan from a feared Chinese invasion.

The Global Times newspaper – seen as the Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece on foreign policy – published a chilling warning to "Australian hawks" not to get involved.

Editor-in-chief Hu Xijin wrote in an opinion piece: "I suggest China make a plan to impose retaliatory punishment against Australia once it militarily interferes in the cross-Straits situation.

"The plan should include long-range strikes on the military facilities and relevant key facilities on Australian soil if it really sends its troops to China's offshore areas and combats against the PLA (People's Liberation Army)."

Mr Hu said it was important to send a strong message "to deter the extreme forces of Australia" from "committing irresponsible actions". 

And he warned Australia: "They must know what disasters they would cause to their country… if they are bold enough to coordinate with the US to militarily interfere in the Taiwan question." 

China has been stepping up its threats to Taiwan, with troops put on invasion readiness and frequent incursions into its air space to wear down defences.

Earlier this year, foreign policy experts said Taiwan is a "flashpoint" and war between the US and China is now more likely than ever.

US forces would likely rely on northern Australia as a launch pad in the event of conflict, and the Pentagon is spending $200million building infrastructure near Darwin over fears of crippling fuel shortages.

Dr John Coyne, of the Australia Strategic Policy Institute think tank, said that is a "vote of no confidence" in Australia's preparedness for war.

'UNPREDICTABLE THREAT'

The leading defence watcher said Australia's sparsely populated north is lacking the military muscle it needs in a world of increasingly “unpredictable” threat, including from China.

Yet the north rather than the south is likely to bear the brunt of any potential attack, he told News.com.au.

Dr Coyne listed weakness included air bases that can only be accessed by dirt roads, naval facilities not fit for the future, and special forces stationed thousands of miles away on the opposite side of the country.

He said: "The threat is incredibly unpredictable now.

"We don't have a Cold War but we do have aggressive non-state actors, a resurgent Russia and an assertive China."

A parliamentary inquiry has heard northern Australia is largely "undefended" despite its key strategic value.

Special forces are based in a suburb of Perth, while most of the naval forces are in ports near Perth and Sydney.

Last year's Defence Strategic Update warned Australia may not have as long as ten years to prepare for a major conflict, as had been previously assumed.

Last month, PM Scott Morrison announced $747million to upgrade four training bases in the Northern Territory that will be used by both Australian and US forces.

He said: “It’s an investment that keeps Australians safe and advances and protects our national interests in what is a very uncertain world and can be a very uncertain region – a region in which there are many pressures.

“Our focus is on pursuing peace, stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific, with a world order that favours freedom.”

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