The last two journalists working for Australian media in China have left the country after police demanded interviews with them, the Australian government and Australian Broadcasting Corp reported on Tuesday. ABC's Bill Birtles and The Australian Financial Review's Michael Smith landed in Sydney after flying from Shanghai on Monday night, ABC reported. Both had sheltered in Australian diplomatic compounds in recent days.

Chinese police arrived at Birtles' doorstep last week, demanded he submit to questioning and told him he was banned from leaving the country, the ABC reported. Australian and Chinese officials negotiated for the travel ban to be lifted if Birtles spoke to police. The journalists left after Australia revealed last week that Australian citizen Cheng Lei, business news anchor for CGTN, China's English-language state media channel, had been detained.