Beijing has defended one of its officials, who tweeted a fake photograph showing an Australian soldier holding a knife to an Afghan child's throat.

The tweet containing the faint image was posted on a government account, and as you can see here, Twitter has put a warning of sensitive content on the tweet.

It does still allow people, though, to click and see the image which we've pixelated out.

The disturbing scene here.

The image prompted in outcry in camera, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanding the tweet be deleted.

He's also asked for an apology from Beijing.

This is what Mr Morrison told a media briefing.

The post might to die.

The repugnant post might today often image of falsified image, often Australian soldier threatening a young child with a knife, a post made on an official Chinese government Twitter account posted by the deputy director general off the Ministry off Foreign Affairs, Mr Lee Geum Zao is truly repugnant.

It is deeply offensive Thio.

Every Australian well in Beijing for us following developments is Steve McDonnell and in Sydney, our correspondent Osama Khalil, who told me how the situation between the two countries is really deteriorating.

Now you live in a very already very, very tense relationship.

But I know we keep saying that.

We keep saying it's getting worse but that's because it is every time.

Now there is a headline with Australia and China relations.

We almost know immediately it's going to be bad news and look the fact that Jhoulys yeah actually condemned the findings off that reports the alleged war crimes report about the Australian special forces being involved in 39 unlawful attack, unlawful killings during the war in Afghanistan and the fact that he condemned that isn't quite shocking because he said that last week he actually used the findings to accuse Australia of double standards when it comes to human rights violations.

I think it's the fact off that doctored image, the fact that this image was used by a Chinese official, Foreign Ministry spokesperson used on an official Chinese government Twitter account and that the image itself is quite inflammatory.

As you described it, it is it depicts an Australian soldier with a knife put against um Afghan child's throat with the Australian and Afghan flags in the background that has clearly pushed at Scott Morrison to you some of the strongest language that we've heard him use against China.

He called.

He said that the Chinese government should be ashamed of yourself, demanded an apology, didn't get one.

Andi said that it was it was a slur and that Twitter should put that down.

That didn't happen.

But I think the context to it as well is quite complex.

So this comes at a very sensitive time for Australia, the country, the military, even the public and the government.

They're still reeling from the findings off that report.

The fact that 19 s A s soldiers could could be facing uh, could be facing court charges could be hitting could be facing prosecution because off those murders, all of this makes for a very bleak picture and the fact that this comes at very heightened tensions, not just politically and diplomatically but also trade tensions between the two countries.

All of that makes for a very bleak picture in relations between China and Australia.

I will say this, though, which is worth noting that despite that open fury by Scott Morrison, he still left a little bit of room for diplomatic maneuver.

He said that he hoped that this will will inspire a reset in relations.

He said that he hoped that there's still room for dialogue.

But judging by by China's tone by China's rhetoric, I don't think he's getting one anytime soon.

Absolutely.

Was Steve tell us more about that?

Scott Morrison, calling it a repugnant, demanding, an apology.

We've had the daily briefing to the media in Beijing.

What was said, Yeah, well, what training was the spokesperson today?

And what she said is that it's not China who should be ashamed in all of this.

But Australia.

I think Beijing thinks it's on a bit of a winner here, actually.

So after that tweet from Jolly Jan, he wasn't at the press conference today, but his colleague watching Young was on what she said is not just read a couple of lines.

She was asking rhetorically, Well, you know, has the Australian military conducted such terrible crimes in Afghanistan?

Have they killed people in this cold blooded way?

And I think that they're able to gain some traction on social media by posing questions like this?

You know, it is interesting, though we also asked the spokesperson, Does this have anything to do with the overall collapse in relations between Canberra and Beijing?

And no, we were told it.

Actually, it za separate matter.

This isn't to do with all these other fronts on which China and Australia are fighting one another.

But interestingly, I did ask the spokeswoman at one point.

Well, this does seem to mark a bit of a change in Beijing's position because China is always saying we don't get involved in other people's internal affairs and so therefore you shouldn't be getting involved in our internal affairs now.

Obviously this doesn't have anything to do with China.

It's Australia and Afghanistan on DSO, I asked.

Maybe this represents a change in Beijing's approach.

Well, the spokes woman was was actually sort of, in a way quite upset almost by this line of questioning, suggesting that it wasn't worthy of the BBC to be asking this and wondering whether it was because I was an Australian citizen.

Perhaps I was sort of seeking to divert people's attention from the issues that had, and I reassured her that no, in fact, that it was a genuine question because it does seem to represent a shift in Beijing's thinking if it's going to start making statements about all these events all over the world which don't involve China.

Nevertheless, I mean, I don't imagine how much worse relations could get between China and Australia.

When you have this type of thing being placed on social media, when you have such strong language going back and forth between Canberra and Beijing.

And if Scott Morrison thinks that, you know, this could be the start of a reset.

I mean, it seems like we're a long way from that at the moment.

I can't see anything from this end, which would indicate Beijing's preparedness to start to really mend relations with Australia just yet.

Yeah, the relationship really hit a new low that Steve Shima Thank you both very much for joining us.