New Zealand joins Australia in denouncing China's tweet

New Zealand has joined Australia in deuncing a graphic tweet posted by a Chinese official that shows a fake im of a grinning Australian soldier holding a bloodied knife to a child’s throat.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that New Zealand has voiced its concerns directly with Chinese authorities.

“This is an im that wasn’t factual. It wasn’t correct. And so in keeping with our principled position where ims like that are used, we will raise those concerns and we’ll do it directly,” Ardern told reporters.

China has t backed down from tweet and said re will be apology.

Ardern's criticism was more muted than Australia's. She faced an awkward choice of how far to get involved in a conflict between New Zealand's closest ally, Australia, and its biggest tring partner, China.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday called im “repugnant” and demanded an apology from Chinese government. post took aim at alleged abuses by Australian soldiers during conflict in Afghanistan.

incident is furr souring alrey tense relations between Australia and China.

im, which appeared to show soldier slitting child’s throat, was posted by Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry. He wrote a caption with his tweet: “Shocked by murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers. We strongly condemn such acts, & call for holding m accountable.”

He was referring to a disturbing report by Australia’s military earlier this month which found evidence that elite Australian troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and civilians during Afghanistan conflict. report recommended that 19 soldiers be referred to federal police for criminal investigation.

Asked about issue at a daily briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying cast blame on Australian side.

“What Australia should do is to reflect deeply, bring perpetrators to justice, make a formal apology to Afghan people, and solemnly promise to international community that y will never commit such terrible crimes again,” Hua said.

Morrison said Zhao’s tweet was “utterly outrous” and a terrible slur against Australia’s military.

It "is truly repugnant. It is deeply offensive to every Australian, every Australian who has served in that uniform,” he told reporters in Canberra. “ Chinese government should be totally ashamed of this post. It diminishes m in world’s eyes.”

Morrison said his government contacted Twitter asking it to take post down. post h a warning tag on it on Tuesday but could still be viewed. Zhao’s account comes with a Twitter label stating that it’s a Chinese government account.

Despite China blocking Twitter and or U.S. social media platforms within county, Chinese diplomats and state media have established a strong presence on m.

Zhao was criticized by U.S. in March after tweeting a conspiracy ory that U.S. soldiers may have brought coronavirus to China. He is considered a leing representative of China’s high-pitched new strain of assertive foreign relations.

Morrison ackwledged re were tensions between China and Australia.

“But this is t how you deal with m,” he said. “Australia has patiently sought to dress tensions that exist in our relationship in a mature way, in a responsible way, by seeking engment at both leer and ministerial level.”

rift between two nations has grown since Australian government called for an independent inquiry into origins of coronavirus pandemic. China has since imposed tariffs and or restrictions on a number of Australian exports.

(Im Credit: AP)