Billionaire Twiggy Forrest is facing criticism for inviting the Chinese consul general to a press conference with Greg Hunt without the minister's knowledge.
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The relationship between the two countries is strained, with China openly criticising Australia which is calling for an international inquiry into the origins of coronavirus.
Mr Hunt and Mr Forrest held a joint press conference on Wednesday to announce the mining magnate's foundation had sourced 10 million COVID-19 testing kits.
But Mr Forrest also invited Victoria Consul General Long Zhou to address the media.
He said the diplomat's attendance was "a gesture of appreciation and friendship between our two great countries".
Mr Long took the opportunity to talk up China's response to the pandemic.
"The virus has, knows no ideology, border or race and in face of the epidemic the testings of all countries are closely interlinked. We're all in this together," Mr Long said.
Several conservative government backbenchers, including Matt Canavan and Andrew Hastie, have criticised Mr Forrest's action.
"This guy drops out of the sky in his private jet and enables the Chinese Communist Party to ambush a Commonwealth press conference. Yeah, we're not happy," Mr Hastie told The Australian.
Former foreign minister Julie Bishop says by being on the United Nations security council China has an obligation to support an investigation into the virus, as the pandemic is a threat to international peace and security.
"This is no time for there to be threats or coercion by any nation against another because we are in the midst of a global pandemic," she told Seven's Sunrise on Thursday.
"This pandemic has been a threat to international security because of the profound disruption to the global economy. There must be an investigation into how the virus got into human populations so we can be better prepared."
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was refusing to back down on his push for a global coronavirus inquiry, continuing the tension between the two counties.
Ambassador Cheng Jingye has floated a Chinese consumer boycott of Australian products, including agriculture, education and tourism, in response to the probe.
The Chinese embassy also controversially released details of a private conversation with Australia's top diplomat.
Chinese state media has launched a series of scathing attacks, with one likening Australia to gum stuck to the bottom of China's shoe.
Australian Associated Press
