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Australia demands an immediate apology, but China refuses. – A dangerous escalation of the conflict between the two countries, says the China insider.
Australia demands an immediate apology from China for posting a fabricated photo on a Chinese state’s Twitter account.
The manipulated image apparently shows an Australian soldier slitting the throat of an Afghan boy while hugging a lamb. The accompanying caption reads: “Don’t be afraid. We bring peace with us.
– I want to believe that this is carefully thought out and discussed at the highest level, China expert and author Torbjørn Færøvik tells Nettavisen.
– This is a dangerous escalation of the conflict between the two countries, and it will only hurt worse. This certainly does not serve the cause of China, but we see time and again that Chinese leaders somehow live in their own world and do not see the scope of their own actions, says Færøvik.
Also read: Report: Australian special forces guilty of 39 murders in Afghanistan
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lijian Zhao posted the fake photo on Twitter on Monday.
“Shocked by the killings of Afghan civilians and prisoners by Australian soldiers. We strongly condemn these actions and hold them accountable,” Lijian wrote.
The fabricated photo and Twitter message refer to alleged war crimes committed by Australian special forces in Afghanistan.
– Disgusting, offensive and terrible
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison demands an apology from China and asks them to remove the post from Twitter immediately. It describes the post as “really repulsive, deeply offensive and absolutely appalling,” writes the BBC.
– The Chinese state should be ashamed of this publication. This reduces them to the eyes of the world, Morrisson said in a statement to Australian journalists.
– There is undoubtedly tension between China and Australia, but this is not the way to handle it, he says.
Morrison says he will call the Chinese ambassador to the carpet, as well as contact Twitter directly and ask them to remove the mail.
Also read: China now suggests that a completely different country may be to blame for the coronavirus
Are the horrible murders justified?
China has so far refused to apologize or delete the Twitter message.
– Australia reacts so strongly to my colleague’s Twitter message. Does that mean they believe the horrific killings of Afghan civilians are justified? Afghan life matters, shouldn’t Australian soldiers feel ashamed? Another Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said at a press conference on Monday, according to The Guardian.
War crimes
Australian authorities have recently completed a comprehensive investigative report on alleged war crimes committed by Australian special forces against Afghan civilians and prisoners.
The investigation report, which was published in mid-November, promotes a series of serious and serious allegations against the special forces. According to the report, the special forces are accused of having committed 39 extrajudicial executions of Afghan civilians. Some of the killings are described as pure ritual.
The incidents in the report are said to have occurred in the period between 2005 and 2016. 19 former and current soldiers are believed to be behind the atrocities.
The fabricated image on the Twitter post appears to be a direct reference to an alleged incident in which Australian special forces used knives to kill two 14-year-old Afghan boys. But Australian ABC claims that the findings of the Australian research report do not support this claim.
Also read: China’s New Virus Propaganda: Makes Opera About Heroes in Wuhan
The core of the dispute
At the center of the controversy is that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier this year called for an independent and international investigation into China’s handling of the coronation outbreak and its origins. This provoked strong reactions from China, which immediately introduced higher customs duties on Australian products such as minerals, wine and beef.
– What started this conflict is this proposal by Prime Minister Morrison in April, where he asked the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate the role of China and China in relation to the virus outbreak. This provoked a strong reaction from China and led to sanctions against Australia. China imposed a skyrocketing tariff on several Australian products. Minerals and wine exports are the most affected. The latest increase came a week and a half ago with a 200 percent increase in Australian wine, says Færøvik.
– Now Australia has a very tough prime minister who is willing to defend the country and the values that are important to them. It has reacted very harshly to pressure from China. It was very natural for him to investigate the coronavirus outbreak, but China experienced it as painful and abuse, says Færøvik.
Also read: China’s economy rise in the third quarter
Close commercial links
Færøvik, who has written several books on China, says China and Australia have had good relations and extensive trade relations for many years, but that has changed a lot after Australia called for a crown inquiry in April.
– China is the largest factory in the world. But they are a commodity-poor country and have a great need to buy commodities outside their own borders. Australia supplies China with important minerals. I think 38 percent of Australia’s total exports go to China. He says Australia has become very dependent on China. China also relies on access to raw materials from Australia, but they are much larger and have many more legs, he says.
Australia has its own free trade agreement with China, and has also recently joined a major Asian trade agreement initiated by China.
– It shows how dangerous it is to get into the Chinese economy too hard. If you become too dependent on China, you risk losing much of the political room for maneuver, says Færøvik.
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