The latest issue to raise temperatures is an image published in Chinese state media depicting an Australian soldier cutting the throat of an Afghan child, in a reference to last week’s findings that elite Australian troops committed war crimes in Afghanistan.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says China should be “utterly ashamed” of the “repugnant image,” while a Chinese state newspaper today described Australia as engaging in “wolf-style policy” and being “the most savage accomplice of US oppression of China.”
The exchange comes just days after China accused Australia of dumping wine in its market and imposed punitive tariffs in the latest round of what is also an escalating trade war.
Diplomatic observers believe China is making an example of Australia to demonstrate to other countries the risks they run if they push too hard on issues including human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet, or in limiting the use of equipment made by Chinese telecommunications companies such as Huawei in global 5G networks.
Watching from the sideline, and with China the country’s largest single trading partner, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern issued a cautious statement.
“Our concern over the use of that image was that it was an unfactual post and of course that would concern us, that’s something that we’ve raised directly in the way that New Zealand does when we have such concerns,” she said.
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta says NZ does not support “disinformation online that has the potential to be inflammatory” and will look to promote dialogue as it hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 2021 forum.
Mahuta made the comments at a ceremony marking the start of NZ’s year chairing of the APEC process.
“New Zealand doesn’t support disinformation that has the potential to be inflammatory. What we would like to promote is dialogue and that stands both domestically and internationally,” Mahuta said.
She says she hasn’t spoken to the Chinese ambassador about the issue and has no current plans to do so.
Ardern didn’t elaborate on what she told China or what the response was.
When asked if the APEC forum created a platform for China and Australia to come together, Mahuta said NZ has the opportunity as the APEC host “to create the kind of dialogue that will build multilateralism and improve and increase the benefits of dialogue,” she said.
She says key for NZ at APEC 2021 will be promoting a multilateral, rules-based system.
“There has been some sense over the past few years that there has been a move toward greater protectionism, and we would like to continue to promote what we have always promoted,” she said.
That includes respect for the system and “for the institutions that help us uphold the rules as we engage with each other.”
The recovery from covid-19 and ways countries can learn from each other will also be top of mind.
Mahuta echoed Ardern at the latest APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November when she said “as we plan for recovery from covid-19, it is economic cooperation through APEC, the most dynamic region in the world’s economy that will help us all rebuild.”
Mahuta spoke after pōwhiri in Wellington to kick off NZ’s year to host APEC 2021, which will be held online as the world continues to grapple with covid-19.
The challenge, she said, will be to make it as engaging as possible, with more than 300 meetings conducted across NZ.
The powhiri is one of the few physical events of the APEC host year. The first virtual APEC 2021 meeting, the Informal Senior Officials Meeting, will be held on December 9.
–BusinessDesk
