Embattled Labor senator Sam Dastyari will be forced to explain to parliament his involvement with Chinese political donors.

The Senate on Thursday passed a motion forcing Senator Dastyari to make a longer explanation than his brief statement earlier in the day.

He will be required to front the Senate at 3pm (AEDT).

It comes after audio emerged contradicting his version of what he said about Beijing's controversial South China Sea policy during the 2016 election campaign.

Senator Dastyari has agreed to quit his positions as Labor's deputy whip and chairman of the Select Committee on the Future of Public Interest Journalism following a request from Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

The senator previously asserted he "incorrectly" mumbled an answer to a question he should not have taken during a press conference with Chinese Communist Party-linked businessman Huang Xiangmo.

In his initial statement to parliament, the NSW senator said the recording shocked him because it didn't match his memory.

"I find the inference that I'm anything but a patriotic Australian deeply hurtful, nonetheless I am not without fault," Senator Dastyari said.

Attorney-General George Brandis said it was "pathetically weak" for Mr Shorten to give Senator Dastyari another "summer sabbatical" to overcome his latest embarrassment.

Independent senator Derryn Hinch supported the motion, saying Senator Dastyari's initial "two-minute noodle address" was insufficient.

The Greens also backed a longer explanation, with leader Richard Di Natale calling on him to address the "very serious allegations".

Labor's Senate leader Penny Wong said Senator Brandis's motion was a political stunt and the government should refer Senator Dastyari to an inquiry if they were serious.

"The government now wants this to be a distraction from the fact Malcolm Turnbull has effectively lost control of the government," Senator Wong said

Earlier, the prime minister called for Senator Dastyari to resign from parliament over what he calls "disloyal conduct of the highest order".

"If he refuses to resign, Shorten should dump him from the Labor Party and let him languish in contempt on the crossbench," he told reporters in Canberra.

Senator Dastyari was forced to quit the Labor shadow ministry in September last year over revelations Chinese donors paid his legal and travel bills.

This week it was reported he warned Mr Huang his phone was likely being bugged by intelligence agencies during a meeting in the businessman's Sydney mansion in October 2016.

"I've never had a briefing by any Australian security agency ever. I've never passed on any classified information," the senator said.