US backs Australia in fake image row, says China hit ‘new low’ with doctored photo

The US on December 2 weighed into the dispute between Canberra and Beijing over the tweet and called China’s use of a digitally manipulated image of an Australian soldier a “new low”. China has refused to apologise for posting the controversial doctored image depicting an Australian soldier cutting the throat of an Afghan child. Even though Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had slammed Beijing for the “outrageous and disgusting slur”, Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Canberra should be ‘ashamed’ of its soldiers ‘committing such atrocities’. 

On Wednesday, the US joined New Zealand and France and expressed concern at the Chinese foreign ministry’s use of the manipulated image on an official Twitter account. While taking to the micro-blogging website, the US State Department said that CCP’s attack on Australia is an example of its “unchecked use of disinformation”. The department’s deputy spokesman Cale Brown said that while China doctored images of Twitter, its citizens were prevented from reading Twitter posts. 

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In a series of tweets, Brown said, “The CCP’s latest attack on Australia is another example of its unchecked use of disinformation and coercive diplomacy. Its hypocrisy is obvious to all. While it doctors images on @Twitter to attack other nations, the CCP prevents its own citizens from reading their posts”. 

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China-Australia feud on doctored image

This latest feud on the tweet by the other Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian further deteriorated the relations between Australia and China. Zhao had reportedly posted a significantly doctored image and posted it with a caption, “Shocked by the murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers. We strongly condemn such acts, & call for holding them accountable.” The micro-blogging platform has also restricted the image with a label saying, “potentially sensitive content” but the tweet still remains pinned on Zhao’s Twitter account. 

The tweet with the fake image was posted by a Chinese government representative in response to a report published last month alleging Australian war crimes. The Australian Defence Force had reportedly said that it had found “credible” information about the involvement of 25 soldiers in the killing of at least 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners between 2009 and 2013. This was followed by a widespread criticism for Australia that was eventually joined by China with the rendered image which then further triggered furious reactions. 

Earlier, Morrison had said that Chian should be “ashamed” for sharing the “repugnant” image and demanded an apology. Even though Beijing has categorically refused to apologise, Zhao’s tweet had also prompted New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to raise concerns. The New Zeland leader had said, "This is an image that wasn't factual. It wasn't correct. And so in keeping with our principled position where images like that are used, we will raise those concerns and we'll do it directly.”

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