‘Unfactual’ tweet

NEW Zealand has weighed into the escalating row between China and Australia, formally registering its concern last night with Chinese authorities about a tweet of a image depicting an Australian soldier.

China is brushing off calls for it to apologise for a foreign ministry official’s tweet with a faked photo of an Australian soldier holding a knife to an Afghan child’s throat. It highlighted a report that found Australian soldiers were responsible for at least 39 unlawful killings in Afghanistan. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is demanding the Chinese government delete what he described as a “repugnant” tweet attacking the Australian Defence Force in the wake of the landmark war crimes inquiry.

NZ’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand has also registered its concern over the use of an “unfactual post”.

“Whether it’s Canada or Australia or indeed the United States, we observe closely, relationships with our major trading partner, China and others,” she told reporters.

“But of course, we always conduct our relationship in our own interests...we will speak up on issues that we have concerns about, we will stick to our independent foreign policy, but that doesn’t stop us observing what’s happening with others.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said anything that proved inflammatory to international relationships was unacceptable, and New Zealand had expressed that view to China.