WA Premier Mark McGowan ‘concerned’ for iron ore exports amid worsening China relationship

“Members of the defence force who may have been offended, I understand and sympathise with anyone who may have been offended.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian shared an image from a pro-Beijing artist depicting an Australian soldier with a knife to the throat of a child and said in the post that he was “shocked by the murder of Afghan civilians and prisoners by Australian soldiers”.

“We strongly condemn such acts and call for holding them accountable,” the post said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for an apology from the Chinese government and for the tweet, which was in response to the Brereton Report into special forces soldiers in Afghanistan, to be removed.

The Chinese government, however, has doubled down and called on Australia to apologise to the Afghan people, despite its own poor human rights record regarding Uyghurs, Tibet, Hong Kong and Mongolia.

Mr McGowan said Australia needed to keep a cool head in its relationship with China, and he was concerned for iron ore exports.

“Obviously the business community and therefore their workforces are very concerned,” he said.

“We all have a wonderful life, it’s built upon strong export industries and I just want us to continue to have good, friendly relationships with our long-term trading partners.

“They buy an enormous amount of our products, we buy a much smaller amount of their products.

“It’s been a beneficial relationship for both countries and I think we need to make sure we have cool heads and work things out by discussion rather than confrontation … I just urge everyone in both governments to get back and talk. Talk to one another, resolve issues amicably.”

WA primary industry producers have copped the brunt of several trade decisions by China, with the massive grain co-operative CBH banned from importing barley and rock lobster fishers struggling to get their catch into the lucrative market.