Australia demands China apologise for posting 'repugnant' fake image

On Monday, Australia demanded that China apologise for posting a fake picture on an official government Twitter account, depicting an Australian soldier murdering an Afghan child.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated that Beijing should be "utterly ashamed" for sharing the "repugnant" image, as political tensions continue to escalate between the two countries.

Earlier this month, an investigation by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) found "credible information" that 25 Australian soldiers were involved in the murders of 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners between 2009 and 2013, which sparked widespread condemnation.

On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lijian Zhao posted a fabricated (and graphic) image which portrayed an Australian soldier with a bloody knife next to a child.

Zhao's tweet stated "Shocked by murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers. We strongly condemn such acts, and call for holding them accountable".

The image serves as a reference to a previously reported allegation that elite Australian soldiers used knives to murder two 14-year-old Afghan boys, with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reporting that the ADF has not substantiated these allegations.

The Australian government has requested Twitter to remove the post from its platform, describing it as "disinformation".

Prime Minister Morrison described the post as "truly repugnant, deeply offensive, utterly outrageous", adding that "the Chinese government should be totally ashamed of this post. It diminishes them in the world's eyes".