Australian politicians refuse to back down on China despite ban

Two Australian politicians who have been denied entry to China have refused to withdraw their criticism of the country.

Andrew Hastie and James Paterson, who were due to travel to Beijing in December as part of a study tour, were denied visas, with the Chinese embassy saying the decision will be revoked if they were to "genuinely repent" for their comments.

"Senator James Paterson and I will not repent, let me be very clear," Hastie told local media. "We will not repent for standing up for Australian sovereignty, our values, our interests, and standing up for people who can't stand up for themselves."

Paterson added: "There won't be any repenting. I'm elected to represent the Australian people — their values, their concerns, their interests. I won't be repenting on the instruction of any foreign power."

Both the politicians have been vocal about the country's human rights records.