China is a superpower and should be using its power responsibly, according to New Zealand Labour MP Louisa Wall.

Ms Wall is a co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international bipartisan group working towards reform on how democratic countries approach China.

Ms Wall told Sky News host Sharri Markson the recently tweeted, doctored photo of an Australian soldier holding a knife to the throat of a child was “disinformation” which needed to be challenged.

“It was obviously not a factual image that was doctored”.

“We get into trouble, through our democratic systems, where we have information purported to be real then turn into misinformation because they have shared (it) multiple times”.

She said extensive sharing of the doctored photo gave people ”an image of what Australia is, that is not right.”

“We have to challenge disinformation and misinformation … because it’s incredibly important we have an engaged citizenship, that we as democratic countries, converse with.

“China should be using its power responsibly.

“We need China to participate in democratic processes in open, transparent ways.”