China mouthpiece slams Australian PM demanding Beijing's apology for accusing its soldiers

Amid worsening relations between China and Australia, the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday shared a 'doctored image' of an alleged Australian war crime in Afghanistan. This did not go well with Australia, which in a sharp rebuke, said that the Chinese Communist government should be totally ashamed of the 'truly offensive' post, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

In his strongest comments against the Chinese government since he became the Prime Minister, Morrison said that the post diminishes China in the world's eyes and demanded an apology from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "The Chinese government should be totally ashamed of this post. It diminishes them in the world's eyes," he said. "It is an absolutely outrageous and disgusting slur. Australia is seeking an apology from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and we are seeking it be removed from Twitter," he was quoted by the Herald.

'It is ridiculous and shameless'

Now, the Editor of the Chinese Communist Party's official mouthpiece Hu Xijin has slammed Morrison and defended the 'cartoon' shared by the Spokesperson of Chinese FM. Taking to Twitter he said that "it is popular that condemns the Australian Force's brutal murder of 39 Afghan civilians."

"On what ground does Morrison feel angry over the use of this cartoon by the spokesperson of Chinese FM? It’s ridiculous and shameless that he demanded China to apologize," the stooge said in a tweet. 

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian shared the image on Twitter Monday morning in which a special forces soldier is seen slitting the throat of an Afghan child with a knife and its head wrapped in an Australian flag. "Don't be afraid we are coming to bring you peace," the image states. Zhao Lijian tweeted that he was shocked by the murder of Afghan civilians and prisoners by Australian soldiers.

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The post comes at a time when Australia is facing criticism after the government-initiated Brereton report found Australian special forces soldiers allegedly committed 39 murders in Afghanistan. The Chinese Communist Party last week criticised Australia over the post.

Bilateral relations between the two countries have rapidly deteriorated this year after Australia led calls for an investigation into the origins of the Coronavirus pandemic, and ongoing discussion about Beijing's alleged interference in Australian affairs. Earlier this month, China's embassy in Australia circulated a list to local media outlets highlighting 14 policy areas where they said Australia had acted in a way that aggravated relations. Australia has said it will not change its policy positions.

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(With agency inputs)