Chinese official posts horror fake Australian soldier photo

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman has shared an appalling photoshopped image of an Aussie digger. WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman has shared an appalling photoshopped image of an Aussie digger about to slit the throat of an Afghan child in condemnation of alleged war crimes. 

Zhao Lijian, who has been increasingly critical of Australia amid trade tensions with China, shared the horrific picture on Monday morning.

The image shows a soldier with Australian flags on his uniform holding a bloodied knife at the throat of a small child who is holding a lamb.

The soldier is standing on a larger Australian flag with the image of the Afghanistan flag in the form of a puzzle underneath.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian. Picture: Getty

A caption on the photo reads “Don’t be afraid, we are coming to bring you peace”.

Mr Zhao shared the horrific image in a tweet from his account which is officially verified as a “China Government account” by Twitter.

“Shocked by murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers. We strongly condemn such acts, & call for holding them accountable,” he said. 

Mr Zhao is the spokesman for the Information Department in the Foreign Ministry in China.

Australia is demanding a formal apology from China for the “repugnant” image.

The photoshopped image.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison slammed the post of a “false image” of an Australian soldier threatening an Afghan soldier with a knife, and has asked the Chinese Government to remove it. Mr Morrison said the Australian Government had also requested Twitter take down the image.

“It is deeply offensive to every Australian, every Australian who has served in that uniform, who every Australian who serves in that uniform today, everyone who has pulled on a uniform and served with Australians overseas,” he said.

“It is utterly outrageous and it can’t be justified on any basis whatsoever.”

Mr Morrison said the Chinese Government should be “totally ashamed of this post”.

“It diminishes them in the world’s eyes,” he said.

He said there were undoubtedly tensions between the two nations, but “this is not how you deal with them”.

“The way to deal with this is by engaging directly in discussions and dialogue between Ministers and leaders,” Mr Morrison said.

Scott Morrison responds to the Zhao Lijian tweet

“Despite this terribly offensive post, I would ask again and call on China to re-engage in that dialogue.

“I would hope that this rather awful event may lead to the type of reset where this dialogue (with China) can be restarted.”

He said he was “extremely proud” of Australians who pulled on the ADF uniform.

“I’m proud of their dedication, of their loyalty to this country and its values,” Mr Morrison said.

The Prime Minister said where there were incidents such as those detailed in the Brereton report, Australia dealt with them in a “transparent and open way”.

“That is what a free, liberal democratic country does,” he said.

Chinese foreign ministry official, Hua Chunying, has defended Mr Zhao’s tweet and suggested Mr Morrison’s complaint about the image meant Australia believed the war crimes were “justified”.

“The Australian side is reacted so strongly to my colleague’s Twitter, does that mean that they think the cold blood murder of Afghan innocent civilians is justified, while other people’s condemnation of such crimes are not justified?,” she said.

“Afghan lives matter.”

Ms Hua said Australia should offer an “official apology” to the Afghanistan people, which the federal government had already done earlier this month.

“They said that the Chinese government should feel ashamed,” she said.

“It is Australian soldiers who committed such cruel crimes. Shouldn’t the Australian government feel ashamed?”

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the tweet was “grossly offensive”.

“It is an appalling disgusting and outrageous piece of social media,” she said.

“This image … is an absolute affront to common decency and to our entire Defence Force.

Ms Payne confirmed the Chinese Ambassador to Australia had been contacted and an apology had been sought.

She said it was an example of the “absolute scourge of disinformation and misinformation” on social media.

Labor’s foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said she was also outraged and warned the Chinese Government it would be judged on the world stage.

Liberal MP and Afghanistan veteran Phil Thompson said the Chinese Government should be “ashamed” of the post.

“Our brave men and women who put on the uniform everyday have served our nation proudly and they do not deserve this slander from China,” he said

“The Chinese Government have used a disgusting falsified image of an Australian soldier threatening a child with a knife.

“I have never seen such a terrible image and slur targeting our defence force from anyone let alone another country.”

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The tweet

Originally published as Chinese official posts horror fake Australian soldier photo