Suggestions by the Federal Resources Minister today that Australia should increase its uranium sales to China display an explosive mix of recklessness and ignorance, the Australian Greens say.

"Martin Ferguson's comments on the ABC's AM program this morning are completely out of step with national interest and public opinion," Greens nuclear issues spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said.

"China is a nuclear weapons state with no separation between military and civil nuclear facilities.

"Increasing exports of Australian uranium simply frees up other supplies for weapons programs.

"Ferguson has once again revealed his true colours. The sale of uranium to China is a Howard-era mistake which the Prime Minister should reverse.

"The world uranium price has plummeted during the past 12 months. The Minister is seemingly unaware that the nuclear arms reduction treaties under discussion by the US and Russia will further weaken the market if weapons-grade uranium comes onto the fuel market as happened in the 1990s.

"Frankly, we need a Resources Minister who can advocate for the public interest rather than working as a taxpayer-funded salesman for Rio Tinto and BHP.

"The Greens say that Australia should withdraw from John Howard's 2006 deal with China on the basis of: China's failure to comply with Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty disarmament obligations; its failure to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty; and its failure to separate its military and civilian nuclear sectors."