China said it is a "clumsy farce" that some Australian media and individuals turned a deaf ear to the fact that Wang Liqiang, the 26-year-old man claimed by Western media as "former Chinese secret agent" is a convicted fraud and wanted suspect.

Wang carried a fake Chinese passport and a fake permanent resident ID of Hong Kong, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Monday during a regular briefing, adding that the investigation for the case is ongoing.

Geng also urged relevant Australian media and individuals to respect the unambiguous facts, abide by professional ethics, put aside ideological prejudices, and stop doing irresponsible and ridiculous things.

Shanghai police issued a statement late on Saturday that Wang is actually an unemployed fraudster and fugitive who was sentenced for a year and six months in October 2016 by Guangze court in Fujian Province.

Wang was reported by some foreign media including The Sydney Morning Herald to have defected to Australia and confessed that he had worked as a secret agent in Hong Kong and Taiwan.