Beijing: Professor Feng Chongyi, the Sydney academic stuck in China, is fighting back against security authorities, demanding to know why he has been banned from returning to Australia.
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Dr Feng's legal team said it was lodging an application with the security bureau, which placed him on the no-fly list on the weekend, seeking answers under Chinese laws that stipulate government transparency.
"We plan to post it to Tianjin National Security Bureau this afternoon. This is the first action we can take for disclosure of government information," said lawyer Chen Jinxue, who is in contact with Dr Feng.
He said Dr Feng had been questioned again on Tuesday by Chinese security police, who are unhappy with international media coverage of the situation.
The application, seen by Fairfax Media, outlines that Dr Feng was stopped at Guangzhou airport on two days and prevented from boarding his booked flight after being told by border staff that he was on a no-fly list issued by the Tianjin National Security Bureau.
However no documents were shown to Dr Feng, and no reasons given.
The application, signed by Dr Feng, requests written reasons from the security bureau and details of what type of travel ban has been applied.
Tianjin is the Chinese city where Dr Feng's hukou???, or household registration, is held. The Chinese hukou system was traditionally used to restrict movement between cities.
Dr Feng has been told he is free to travel within China. His wife, an Australian citizen, is accompanying him in Guangzhou, but has not been questioned by Chinese police.
Hong Kong's Apple Daily newspaper reported that Dr Feng had encountered problems with Chinese authorities in 2009 when 11 books he was carrying were confiscated at the airport. They included a book about Chinese reformer Hu Yaobang???, whose death sparked the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.
Dr Feng was indicted, but the case was dismissed, the newspaper reported.
Former foreign minister Bob Carr is leading a study tour of the Australia China Relations Institute in Beijing this week. He has said he would make "private representations" about Dr Feng's case, which he hoped would be resolved quickly.
Dr Feng is an Australian permanent resident, but not an Australian citizen, and was travelling on a Chinese passport.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Tuesday the Turnbull government would continue to make representations on his behalf.
"He's not an Australian citizen, he was not travelling on an Australian passport so there are limitations as to what Australia can do - but we will certainly use whatever influence we have to ensure that he's dealt with fairly," she said in Canberra.
