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China Calls Scott Morrison 'Arrogant' For Wanting An Apology Over Fake Soldier Image

China Calls Scott Morrison 'Arrogant' For Wanting An Apology Over Fake Soldier Image

China's state-run newspaper says Morrison should 'slap himself in the face' and apologise to Afghanistan.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

China has double-downed on its attacks of Australia after Scott Morrison demanded an apology over a fake image of an Australian soldier killing an Afghani boy.

Zhao Lijian, deputy director for China's Foreign Ministry, posted a doctored photo of an Australian Defence Force (ADF) soldier standing behind a child with a knife to their throat. A caption in the photo says: "Don't be afraid, we're coming to bring you peace."

In the tweet, he added: "Shocked by murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers. We strongly condemn such acts, & call for holding them accountable."

The Chinese government spokesperson is referring to the Australian Defence Force's report in alleged war crimes involving Aussie soldiers in Afghanistan.

Lijian Zhao/Twitter

The Australian Prime Minister lashed out at China yesterday (November 30) and asked the superpower to apologise so that the two countries could mend their fractured relationship.

He said during a news conference: "It is deeply offensive to every Australian, every Australian who has served in that uniform, every Australian who serves in that uniform today, everyone who has pulled on that uniform and served with Australians overseas from whatever nation, that they have done that. It is utterly outrageous and it cannot be justified on any basis whatsoever.

"The Chinese Government should be totally ashamed of this post. It diminishes them in the world's eyes."

However, the editor-in-chief of China's state-run newspaper The Global Times, Hu Xijin, has hit back at Morrison in a blistering editorial that called the Aussie PM 'arrogant' for wanting an apology.

He wrote: "Australia is 'urban-rural fringe' of Western civilization where gangsters roamed. If the US wants to do something bad, it seeks thugs in such a place. Australian army's killing of Afghan civilians and Scott Morrison's attitude prove Canberra's barbarism.

"How could this Australian PM be so ridiculously arrogant to pick on Chinese FM spokesperson's condemnation against the murder of innocent people? Is the murder fake news? Shouldn't that illustrator have made the cartoon? Didn't the Chinese FM spokesman have the right to repost that cartoon to censure Australian troops' murder of innocent Afghan civilians?

"Morrison should kneel down on the ground, slap himself in the face, and kowtow to apologise to Afghans - all these should be done in a live telecast. No matter what harsh words people use on them for the murder, the Australian government should have accepted it. How dare they talk back and say they are offended!"

An investigation is underway into claims 39 Afghanis were killed by ADF soldiers and the 'nature and extent of the misconduct allegedly committed by ADF members on operations in Afghanistan is very confronting'.

One of the allegations being levelled involves Australian soldiers cutting the throats of two young boys and dumping their bodies in a river on suspicions they were sympathisers of the Taliban.

Despite authorities trying to get on top of these allegations, Australia's Prime Minister believes the criticism from China is completely uncalled for.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Australia