WELLINGTON – A diplomatic war of words between Australia and China over a graphic tweet seemed to finally cool on Thursday as Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison struck a much more conciliatory tone.
Morrison’s change in approach came even after he was thwarted in getting his views out directly to Chinese people over the messaging app WeChat, after the Chinese company deleted his post on the grounds it could distort historical events and confuse the public.
Earlier this week, Morrison expressed anger at the tweet posted by a Chinese official that showed a fake image of a grinning Australian soldier holding a bloodied knife to a child’s throat.
The post took aim at alleged unlawful killings and abuses by Australian soldiers during the conflict in Afghanistan.
Morrison called the tweet “truly repugnant” and “deeply offensive” and demanded an apology from China. But China had not backed down, saying that Australia should be the one examining its actions.
On Thursday, Morrison took a much different approach, telling reporters that his aim was for the two countries to have a “happy coexistence.”
“My position and my government’s position is to seek constructive engagement,” Morrison said. “The relationship with China is a mutually beneficial one. It supports both our countries, it is good for both of our countries.” (AP)
