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Anthony Albanese is in Malaysia for the ASEAN meeting. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raised concerns over a recent and potentially dangerous military encounter in the South China Sea during a high-level meeting with China's premier, Li Qiang.

He did not elaborate on what the reaction was, but noted that the concerns were "heard".

The prime minister says China's premier "heard" his concerns about a potentially dangerous recent military encounter in the South China Sea after he raised the confrontation during a high-level meeting in Malaysia.

Anthony Albanese sat down with Premier Li Qiang — China's second most senior leader — on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Monday morning.

The meeting came just one week after the government revealed that a Chinese fighter jet confronted an Australian surveillance plane in the South China Sea, firing two flares dangerously close to the P8.

Defence Minister Richard Marles labelled the conduct of the People's Liberation Army plane as "unprofessional and unsafe", drawing a furious response from China's Defence Ministry, which accused Australia of distributing "twisted propaganda".

The prime minister said repeatedly that he raised the encounter "directly" with Mr Li when journalists pressed him on the issue.