A bizarre row broke out between a senior Chinese state media journalist and an Australian cameraman covering Scott Morrison's media conference.
Tensions flared in the prime minister's courtyard when Bai Xu, the chief of Xinhua New's Canberra bureau, became angry that a SBS cameraman was filming her.
The Australian cameraman turned the lens on the Chinese reporter after witnesses claimed a photographer Ms Xu was with was taking photos of other journalists on Friday.
© Provided by Daily Mail A bizarre scuffle broke out between a senior Chinese state media journalist (pictured) and an Australian cameraman covering Scott Morrison's media conference© Provided by Daily Mail Tensions flared in the Prime Minister's Courtyard when Bai Xu (pictured), the chief of Xinhua's Canberra bureau, became angry that a SBS cameraman was filming herThe unusual scene became even more heated when Ms Xu put her hand over the lens and told the cameraman to stop filming.
But as the incident drew the eye of other Australian journalists and the federal police, the two Chinese reporters quickly left the room, the Daily Telegraph reported.
As she departed, she was followed by the prime minister's security team, who later said she did hold a permanent media pass but the photographer did not.
The photographer is also understood to have refused to answer when asked where they worked.
Ironically, one of the subjects touched on at the press event was the issue of foreign interference by China.
Earlier that morning, the Sydney home and office of New South Wales Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane was raided by ASIO officials and the federal police.
The Lebanese-born backbencher known for singing the praises of Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party - is now the target of the new national security and espionage laws.
a group of people posing for the camera: Shaoquett Moselmane (pictured) is outspoken in his praise for the Chinese Communist Party and the authoritarian leadership Xi Jinping
Previous Slide Next Slide Shaoquett Moselmane (pictured) is outspoken in his praise for the Chinese Communist Party and the authoritarian leadership Xi Jinping
Australian intelligence services are investigating whether Mr Moselmane and the NSW parliament, has been compromised by the authoritarian regime.
'It's been an investigation that has been going on for some time. It's elevated to a new level today,' Prime Minister Morrison told reporters at today's media conference.
'We won't cop anyone coming and seeking to interfere in our political system, in our energy sector, in any area of the perceived area of opportunity for an outside actor.
'We won't cop it. We are a resilient people. We will stand up to it and we will take action, as what you've seen today demonstrates.'
© Provided by Daily Mail Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) speaks to the media at Friday's media conference
