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Australia has been warned China will "respond in kind" if Canberra sanctions Beijing over allegations genocide against the ethnic minority Muslim Uyghurs.

Fronting a bizarre conference, Ambassador Cheng Jingye said China will not "swallow the bitter pill of interfering or meddling in China's internal affairs".

Ambassador Cheng was joined by government officials beamed in via Zoom from Xinjian for a two-hour media conference in Canberra, dismissing allegations of human rights abuses as "fake news" and "lies".

The media event featured heavily-produced propaganda-style videos about how life could look in the autonomous region of north-western China.

READ MORE: Australia backs sanctions against China over 'human rights abuses'

Also beamed in were residents of Xinjiang, spruiking life in what was called "a wonderful land", to dispel and dismiss a variety of allegations with have centred on the Chinese government and the people of the autonomous region.

Last month the US, Canada, the European Union and the UK imposed sanctions on Chinese officials, in what they described as "co-ordinated action" designed to send "a clear message about the human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang".

At the time Australia issued a joint statement with New Zealand stopping short of issuing sanctions but saying "there is clear evidence of severe human rights abuses that include restrictions on freedom of religion, mass surveillance, large-scale extra-judicial detentions, as well as forced labour and forced birth control, including sterilisation".

On Wednesday, the Chinese Ambassador dismissed that view as "lies" and "rumours" warning if Australia follows its international allies it would make an already frosty relationship, colder.

"We will not provoke, but if we are provoked, we will respond in kind," Ambassador Cheng said.

It has been claimed up to one million Uyghurs are being held in what the Chinese government calls re-education camps.

READ MORE: Australian researchers find China is still expanding detention centres

It's a number China has denied and today again rubbished.

Government official Xu Guixiang – who is in Xinjiang – was asked how many people were being held in camps there.

"Xinjiang already has re-education centres there are no things like concentration camps," he responded to Australian journalists.

Uyghurs who live in Australia have expressed concerns for family back home.

Marhaba Yaqub Salay has not spoken to her sister in more than two years.

Eight years ago, Marhaba's sister transferred money to her parents in Australia to buy a house.

In April 2019 she was detained accused of "giving material support to terrorist activity".

Marhaba has grave concerns for her welfare.

"Australia, please recognise genocide because Uyghur people are suffering from them and CCP (Chinese Communist Party) want to wipe all of us in our homeland," she told 9News.

READ MORE: Twitter deletes China's tweet on 'emancipated' Uighur women

The Chinese Ambassador did say he wanted a "stable" relationship with Australia after the Chinese government slapped tariffs or bans on Australian coal, wine, barley, lobster, beef and timber.

"We want a positive relationship, but we will have a positive relationship that is consistent with Australia acting in accordance with its values and its national character," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

Australia still remains in the diplomatic freezer, with warnings it might get colder down there.

As Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today stood to call for a National Women's Summit, new figures have shown just how much harassment is occurring in the state's public service.

In findings obtained by 9News from the state's Public Service Commission, Queensland's house of highest honours has had more than 405 harassment complaints in a 12-month period.

The figures show that Between July 2019 and June 2020, 140 complaints about inappropriate sexual conduct were reported within the Queensland public service.

READ MORE: Annastacia Palaszczuk calls for national women's summit

Of those complaints, 21 employees were suspended with pay, only 1 was suspended without pay and 6 employees were terminated.

In that same period, 265 bullying and harassment complaints were reported – most of those were internal, but no one was sacked or even suspended without pay.

https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1379616549716168706

They're growing figures that have made Kate Flanders from Together Queensland increasingly less shocked and more outraged.

"The public service is not immune to sexual harassment and sexual misconduct complaints – we've noticed sadly an increase in these sorts of issues being raised,' Miss Flanders told 9News.

"I fear having worked in this union for more than 20 years that I am getting less shocked, but more outraged," she added.

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Liberal MP Andrew Laming will be investigated by the Australian Electoral Commission after allegations emerged he operated about 30 Facebook pages without authorisation.

The confirmation from the independent election watchdog follows a report from The Guardian which stated Mr Laming "masqueraded" as at least three news pages and an educational institute.

Mr Laming has been under fire after a string of revelations, which include internet trolling and alleged harassment.

READ MORE: Annastacia Palaszczuk calls for national women's summit

After those allegations were aired on 9News, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had asked Mr Laming to complete an awareness course to "build his understanding and awareness about his actions".

In a statement to 9News, an AEC spokesperson confirmed it would be investigating the claims in the article and the "requirements for electoral authorisation".

"The AEC looks at information either referred to us or available in the public domain – including through media coverage," the spokesperson said.

"With regard to the Facebook activity mentioned … I can confirm that we will be investigating the requirement for electoral authorisation."

According to the Australian Electoral Commission, a key purpose of the authorisation laws is to allow voters to know who is communicating with them.

"To require an authorisation statement the communication needs to be deemed 'electoral matter'." The AEC spokesperson added.

Social media accounts and posts were explicitly added to the disclosure laws following the 2016 election, which requires authorisation details to be shown in post messages or in a page's biography details.