New Zealand has lashed out at an action by a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Yesterday posted one fake photo on Twitter of an Australian soldier seemingly threatening to cut the throat of an Afghan child.
The staged photo is in response to reports that a group of Australian soldiers in Afghanistan killed 39 civilians and prisoners. Thirteen soldiers must now prove that they are innocent or they will be fired.
Australia reacted furiously to the tweet of the Chinese spokesman yesterday. “It is an insult to anyone who has served in Australian uniform,” said Prime Minister Morrison. “The Chinese government should be ashamed of the message.” But China has already announced that it will not apologize.
New Zealand in splits
The relationship between Australia and China has deteriorated since the Australians called for an investigation into the origins of the corona pandemic. The virus spread across the world from China. “But this is not the way we should treat each other now,” said Prime Minister Morrison.
New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern has expressed concerns to Chinese authorities, but she is more lenient about the fake photo than her Australian counterpart. Ardern is in a dilemma: Australia is an important ally and China is New Zealand’s largest trading partner.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has previously come under fire over a tweet. In March, he shared a conspiracy theory that US military has brought the coronavirus to China.
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