Jenn, Alex, and Jen talk about the diplomatic spat between China and Australia that erupted this week after a Chinese official tweeted a fake image of an Australian soldier threatening a young Afghan child with a knife. Though the image was fake, it highlighted real war crimes allegedly committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. The crew explains why China, a notorious human rights abuser itself, is trolling Australia on Twitter about this issue, and how it fits into China's broader geopolitical strategy to bully countries into keeping quiet about its own failings.
References:
The Australia-China diplomatic spat, explained
An inquiry found Australian special forces committed possible war crimes in Afghanistan
The potential costs of a trade war between Australia and China
How Australia’s allies are responding to its feud with China
The US government also did some trolling of its own
A look at China’s “wolf warrior” diplomacy
Hosts:
Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox
Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox
Jen Kirby (@j_kirby1), foreign reporter, Vox
Consider contributing to Vox:
If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox:
bit.ly/givepodcasts
More to explore:
Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram.
About Vox:
Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.
Follow Us:
Vox.com
Newsletter: Vox Sentences
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
podcastchoices.com/adchoices