Tension between Australia and China has been raised, with Beijing refusing to apologise for posting a fake image purporting to show an Australian soldier killing an Afghan child, and accusing Canberra of trying to ‘deflect public attention’ from allegations against its soldiers in Afghanistan.
Australia said it considered the post ‘repugnant’, but the Chinese Embassy in Australia hit back, citing a report last month by the Australian Defence Force, saying it had found ‘credible information’ that 25 Australian soldiers were involved in the murders of 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners between 2009 and 2013.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Beijing should be ‘utterly ashamed’ for sharing the fake image, and demanded an apology.
However, the Chinese embassy said in a statement: ‘The accusations [against Beijing] made are simply to serve two purposes. One is to deflect public attention from the horrible atrocities by certain Australian soldiers. The other is to blame China for the worsening of bilateral ties. There may be another attempt to stoke domestic nationalism.’
The statement added: ‘It’s our advice that the Australian side face up to the crimes committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan, hold those perpetrators accountable and bring justice to the victims.’
The BBC notes that bilateral relations between China and Australia have been deeply strained this year after Canberra led calls for a probe into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.