Scott Emerson says China has shown its hypocrisy after doubling down following the “disgraceful and doctored” photo of an Australian soldier.

The photo purports to show a soldier hold a knife to the throat of an Afghan civilian, tweeted by a senior foreign ministry official.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has expressed outrage over the post, and demanded an apology.

But the Chinese embassy in Canberra issued a new statement this afternoon saying the government was trying to deflect attention away from alleged war crimes.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said they had “raised directly” with China the use of the doctored image.

“China has doubled down on its disgraceful and disgusting tweet of a fake image of an Australian soldier holding the knife to the throat of an Afghan child,” Scott said.

“The Chinese government’s use of a photoshopped tweet, it does not undermine us.

“What it does, it shows the hypocrisy of the Chinese government and its weakness.

“Australia, as a nation, at least has the courage to acknowledge its failings.

“This is a government that would never admit the atrocities it has committed over decades.”

Click PLAY to hear his full comments

Image: Getty

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