China doubles down on criticising Australia over Afghanistan
- Australia publishes prime minister’s statement praising aspects of relationship on WeChat in apparent appeal to Chinese audience
- Artist behind controversial illustration of Australian soldier with knife at the throat of Afghan child says it was created ‘as a metaphor’
Both governments issued statements on Tuesday as the matter spilled from Twitter to other public forums and the Australian government used the Chinese social platform WeChat to address “the fake photo” but also praise aspects of the Australian-Chinese relationship.
The Chinese foreign ministry refused to take down the controversial tweet by its spokesman, Zhao Lijian, despite demands on Monday by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison that the tweet be deleted and China apologise.
The tweet included an image targeting the behaviour of Australian soldiers in Afghanistan as revealed by a recent domestic war crimes inquiry. It depicted a grinning Australian soldier holding a bloody knife to the throat of a child, who in turn is holding a lamb. The child’s face is draped in the Australian flag and a pained expression is visible.
Morrison called Zhao’s tweet containing the image “falsified”, “repugnant” and “utterly outrageous”.