Prime Minister Scott Morrison has taken to popular Chinese social media platform WeChat to appeal to millions of Chinese citizens, after China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian shared a post on Twitter containing a doctored image depicting an Australian soldier holding a knife to the throat of an Afghan child.
In a bid to keep the Chinese community onside, Mr Morrison said the post “does not diminish respect and appreciation for the Chinese community in Australia or our friendship with the people in China”.
The prime minister joined WeChat in 2019 to appeal to Chinese-Australian voters during the election.
The post already has over 48,000 views.
“I am deeply proud of all the Australians who wear the uniform for Australia. I am proud of their hard work in the service and their dedication keeping Australia and Australians safe,” the post reads.
“I am proud of their loyalty to our country and its values.
“These values determine how we as a nation deal with difficult issues, such as those identified by the Inspector General in his report on the Australian Defence Force.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressed his outrage after Chinese government spokesman Zhao Lijian shared the fake photo on Twitter.
AAP.
The post also states that Australia will continue to act as a “free, democratic, enlightened nation.”
“When incidents allegedly occur that require action, we have established honest and transparent procedures for dealing with them.
“Australia will remain true to our values and protect our sovereignty.
“It’s in our national interest.”
The post comes after Chinese officials hit back at Australia’s request for an apology from Beijing for the tweet, accusing it of stoking “domestic nationalism“.
On Tuesday, the Chinese embassy in Canberra also issued a statement accusing the Australian government of overreacting.
“The rage and roar of some Australian politicians and media is nothing by misreading of, and overreaction to Mr Zhao’s tweet,” a Chinese embassy spokesperson said.
“The accusations made are simply to serve two purposes. One is to deflect public attention from the horrible atrocities by certain Australian soldiers. The other is to blame China for the worsening of bilateral ties.
“All of this is obviously not helpful to the resetting of bilateral relationship.”
Mr Morrison’s post on WeChat went on to appeal directly to the Chinese community.
“We recognise, deeply appreciate and value the contributions that generations of Chinese immigrants have made to Australia.
“For more than 200 years, Australians of Chinese background have made a significant contribution to our country.”
