Senator Paterson toldThe Sun-Herald andThe Sunday Age:"it's even more important for us to continue to voice our concerns,"while Mr Hastie said,"it doesn't change anything for me".
The MPs were due to travel to China next month on a study tour planned by think tank China Matters. On Friday,the Chinese Embassy told China Matters their visas had been denied,"at this time",in a development that shocked senior members of the government.
On Saturday,a Chinese Embassy spokesperson issued a statement saying China was open to"constructive dialogue"but"the Chinese people do not welcome those who make unwarranted attacks,wantonly exert pressure on China,challenge China's sovereignty,disrespect China's dignity and undermine mutual trust between China and Australia".
"The colonial days of Western powers are long gone,"it continued."China will never yield to colonisation of ideas and values."
But in a sign it would allow the two MPs to travel to China if they apologised or toned down their remarks,the Chinese embassy added:"As long as the people concerned genuinely repent and redress their mistakes,view China with objectivity and reason ... the door of dialogue and exchanges will always remain open".
Mr Hastie,the chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security,has raised the plight of China's Uyghur population in Federal Parliament. In a controversial opinion piece published byThe Sydney Morning Herald andThe Age in August,he alsolikened the world's approach to containing China to the failure to prevent the rise of Nazi Germany.
Senator Paterson has warned ofChinese Community Party interference in Australian universities.