WeChat blocks Australia PM’s message over China official’s war crimes tweet

Scott Morrison criticised the digitally manipulated ‘false image’ posted on social media by a Chinese official, but the platform later blocked his post

This comes as #SolidaritywithAustralia and #FreedomWine trended on Twitter in support of the country’s tariff-hit wine industry

Reading Time:3 minutes

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison pictured outside Parliament House in Canberra earlier this year. Photo: EPA

Published: 10:15am, 2 Dec 2020Updated: 8:13pm, 2 Dec 2020

The Chinese social media platform WeChat has blocked a message by Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison amid a dispute between Canberra and Beijing over the doctored tweeted image of an Australian soldier.

China has rebuffed Morrison’s calls for an apology after its foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian posted the digitally manipulated image of an Australian soldier holding a bloodied knife to the throat of an Afghan child on Monday.

China’s embassy said the “rage and roar” from Australian politicians and media over the image was an overreaction.

Morrison took to WeChat on Tuesday to criticise the “false image”, while offering praise to Australia’s Chinese community.

In his message, Morrison defended Australia’s handling of a war crimes investigation into the actions of special forces in Afghanistan, and said Australia is able to deal with “thorny issues” like this in a transparent manner.

But that message appeared to be blocked by Wednesday evening, with a note appearing from the “Weixin Official Accounts Platform Operation Center” saying the content was unable to be viewed because it violated regulations, including distorting historical events and confusing the public.

Tencent, the parent company of WeChat, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x