SYDNEY/BEIJING - China accused Australia on Wednesday (Sept 9) of brutal harassment of Chinese journalists as it emerged that Australian authorities had targeted several Chinese journalists and academics over an alleged attempt by Beijing to influence a New South Wales MP, Mr Shaoquett Moselmane.

ABC News reported that the figures targeted in June were members of a WeChat group which was suspected of being used to "encourage Mr Moselmane to advocate for the Chinese government's interests".

Two of the Chinese journalists targeted were identified by ABC News as the Australia bureau chief of China News Service, Ms Tao Shelan, and China Radio International's Sydney bureau chief, Mr Li Dayong. Chinese media said two other Chinese journalists were also targeted.

In addition, it emerged that two China scholars who were members of the WeChat group had their visas revoked. The scholars were named as Professor Chen Hong, a professor of Australian Studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai, and Mr Li Jianjun, the Director of the Australian Studies Centre at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Professor Chen said on Wednesday that he was advised that his visa had been cancelled because he had been deemed a threat to national security by Australia's domestic spy agency, ASIO. He denied the claim, saying the WeChat group was innocuous.

"I absolutely refuse to accept this assessment, and believe a gross mistake has been made regarding my relationship with Australia," he told ABC News.

"The group was a most ordinary social network platform on which members used to share jokes and funny memes... The allegation that the group had been purported as a means of influence is simply preposterous."

Reports of the raids by Australian authorities first appeared in Chinese media outlets on Wednesday as tensions between the two nations continued to mount.

Canberra expressed disappointment this week at the treatment of two Australian journalists who were forced to hurriedly leave China after being accused by Chinese authorities of being involved in a national security case. For the first time since 1973, Australian media has no journalists in China, its largest trading partner.

China now appears to be indicating that the treatment of the two Australian journalists was retaliation for the treatment of Chinese reporters in Australia.

Chinese media reported that Australian intelligence officers raided the homes of Chinese journalists on June 26, the same week that officers conducted raids related to an investigation linked to Mr Moselmane. The reports said mobile phones, computers and writing materials were seized but the journalists were not found to have acted unlawfully.

The Australian investigation, by Australian Federal Police and ASIO, resulted in raids of properties linked to Mr Moselmane and his part-time staff member Mr John Zhang, an Australian citizen who moved from China in 1989.

The raids allegedly involved concerns that the Chinese Communist Party had infiltrated the MP's office. Mr Moselmane and Mr Zhang have denied any wrongdoing.

"We demand that Australia immediately stop these brutal and unreasonable acts," he told reporters.

"What the Australian government has done has seriously interfered with the normal reporting activities of Chinese media in Australia… fully exposing Australia's flaunted 'press freedom' and the hypocrisy of the so-called 'respect and protection of human rights'."

Mr Zhao said Australian intelligence officers had conducted the raids and questioned four journalists over alleged breaches of laws against foreign interference.

"It is understood that Australia has so far not given a reasonable explanation for the searches, and has not returned all the seized items," he said.

The recent investigation of the two Australian journalists in China - one from the ABC and the other from the Australian Financial Review - is believed to be related to the detention last month of Chinese-born Australian journalist Cheng Lei, a presenter for China Global Television Network.

Beijing has not provided the reasons for Ms Lei's detention.