Palmer United Party senator Jacqui Lambie won't apologise for warning of a Chinese invasion of Australia, despite her leader doing so for his bizarre anti-China rant.
Mr Palmer has apologised to the "Chinese people everywhere" for last week describing China's government as "mongrels" and "bastards" who shoot their own people.
Senator Lambie said the PUP leader had little choice because "people are still quite irate about his comments".
However, she would not offer a similar apology for her China invasion warning, in which she said Australia needed to double the size of it military to "stop our grandchildren from becoming slaves to an aggressive, anti-democratic totalitarian foreign power".
The outspoken Tasmanian senator on Wednesday declared: "I'm not backing down".
"I don't see why I would offer an apology when I'm actually speaking about the Chinese communist regime and not the Chinese people," she told ABC Radio.
"I'm very grateful to the Chinese people and having them as trading partners and I certainly know my Tasmania is."
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she hoped Senator Lambie would follow Mr Palmer's belated apology.
"I hope that Senator Lambie likewise reflects on the comments that she's made and the potential for harm with one of our largest trading partners," she told ABC radio.
Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce is travelling to China next week and expects to be quizzed about Mr Palmer's "unhelpful" comments.
Mr Joyce hoped Australia's trade talks with China would not be affected.
"I (will) do my best to ... get a good hearing and a fair outcome."
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