China on Monday refused to Australia, after a Chinese diplomat posted a graphic image depicting an Australian soldier with a bloodied knife next to an Afghan child, a post described by Prime Minister Scott Morrison as “repugnant” and “false”.
The controversial post comes in the backdrop of an ongoing police investigation into a recent disclosure by Australia’s defence establishment that said the country’s soldiers had committed war crimes in Afghanistan.
Recently, an inquiry report claimed to have learnt that from 2009-2013, about 25 Australian soldiers had been involved in the killings of 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners.
“Shocked by the murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers. We strongly condemn such acts, & call for holding them accountable,” spokesperson Zhao tweeted the caption.
PM Morrison issued a strong statement against the tweet, asking the social media platform to remove the photograph.
He described Zhao’s tweet as “truly repugnant, deeply offensive, utterly outrageous” and that the “Chinese government should be totally ashamed of this post. It diminishes them in the world’s eyes”.
“It is a false image and terrible slur on our defence forces,” Morrison said.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, on Monday brushed aside the criticism and instead asked Australia to do some “soul-searching” in the face of the war crimes investigation.
“The Australian government should do some soul-searching and bring the culprits to justice, and offer an official apology to the Afghan people and make the solemn pledge that they will never repeat such crimes,” Hua said on Monday.
