The Federal Government is celebrating its newly-sealed China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), but unions and industry groups fear the deal will put jobs at risk.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott this week described the FTA as a “history making” deal that will “change our region for the better”.

While the deal allows Australian companies greater access to the Chinese market, union are worried about new temporary skilled migration visas.

The visas allow more Chinese workers including tradespeople to work in Australia.

Entry and temporary stay for up to four years (with the possibility of staying longer) has been granted to “contractual service suppliers” from China.

The document defines such suppliers as Chinese workers who have “trade, technical or professional skills and experience and who is assessed as having the necessary qualifications, skills and work experience accepted as meeting Australia's standards”.

It could see up to 1,800 people per year,enter Australia to work as Chinese chefs, Wushu martial arts coaches, Mandarin language tutors or Chinese medicine practitioners.

It allows Chinese machinery installers and equipment servicers to work in Australia for up to three months.

It also allows Chinese companies to bring in workers under an Investment Facilitation Arrangement, if they are involved in infrastructure projects worth $150 million or more.

The projects will need to be approved by the Australian Government and be in the food and agribusiness, resources and energy, transport, telecommunications, power supply and generation, environment or tourism sectors.

Chinese workers will have to meet English language standards, carry appropriate qualifications and experience and be sponsored by the Australian Immigration Department.

Chinese companies will not need to advertise project jobs locally before recruiting workers from overseas.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) says the FTA will undermine local jobs and increase unemployment.

“The Abbott Government needs to come clean on the impact the China Free Trade Agreement will have on unemployment and local jobs,” an official statement read.

“Free trade agreements must support local jobs and industry and all indications are that the deal with China does not.”

There are also concerns that Chinese workers’ conditions could be exploited by unscrupulous employers.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has welcomed the opportunity for Australian exporters to tap into China.

But the Australian Industry Group is less excited.

AIG chief Innes Willox says it will allow Chinese imports to undercut local manufacturers.

“It's both a threat and an opportunity,” he told the ABC.

“Some parts of manufacturing may potentially be hit much harder than others. It depends on which sector of manufacturing you're in.”