China’s “mock outrage” over alleged war crimes by Australian Defence Force personell only draws attention to “their own mass abuses,” according to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Michael Shoebridge.

The doctored image – which has not been censored by Twitter despite being faked – was published by China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian who said he was “shocked by murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers”.

The prime minister responded to the image which shows an Australian soldier holding a knife to the throat of a child by labelling it “falsified” and “repugnant”.

Mr Shoebridge told Sky News China’s response is an “own goal”.

“All it is going to do is call more attention to their own mass abuses,” he said.

“We know about the alleged unlawful killings in Afghanistan because the Australian government has released a forensic 480 page report and is responding to those allegations.

“We know about the mass abuses in Xinjiang because of escapees because of leaked Chinese government information and because of satellite imagery.”