A Chinese state news outlet published two bizarre cartoons mocking Australia on the eve of a summit of democracies in Washington, claiming the country will become 'cannon fodder'.
Scott Morrison met with Joe Biden and the leaders of Japan and India on Saturday to discuss regional security, Covid and exports at The Quad Summit.
The meeting angered China, which warned Australia, India and Japan that the US would eventually dump it 'like trash'.
The Global Times, a Chinese government mouthpiece, published two cartoons ahead of the meeting depicting Australia as an unhinged kangaroo and the other as a pawn of the United States.
The news outlet lashed the four nations as 'four ward mates with four different diseases'.
Scott Morrison met with Joe Biden as part of The Quad summit in Washington, a meeting whihc saw China claim Australia could become 'cannon fodder'
Mr Morrison, India's Narendra Modi, Biden and Australia's 'dear friend' Japan's Yoshihide Suga gathered for Quad talks at the White House
A bizarre cartoon from The Global Times depicted The Quad attendees as all attempting to drive a bus as the outlet mocked the attendees as 'four ward mates with four different diseases'
It also boasted the alliance was 'incapable of inflicting substantial harm to China'.
The outlet quoted 'analysts' claims that typical American behaviour was to divide Asian nations and 'abandon its allies like dumping trash in front of its interests'.
'If Japan, India and Australia went too far in following the US strategy of containing China, they will become cannon fodder as China will resolutely safeguard its interests, Chinese analysts warned,' the Global Times predicted.
The outlet also produced two cartoons, one showing the three regional allies - with Australia represented by an unhinged-looking kangaroo - all trying to drive a bus, with Uncle Sam in the front.
The other showed an American eagle imagining a plan in which the United States, Japan, India and Australia surround China.
Following a long period of escalating Chinese militarisation, bullying towards neighbours, influence in the region and its trade war with Australia, Mr Morrison signed another alliance with the US this month.
China has taunted Australia about the possibility of missile strikes on Australian soil
A second cartoon in the Global Times showed an American eagle imagining a plan in which the United States, Japan, India and Australia surround China - though it also claimed the alliance was 'incapable of inflicting harm' to China
The AUKUS alliance, with the US and UK, includes a deal which will see Australia build nuclear-powered submarines.
Mr Morrison has expressed the reality of a possible conflict with China and Beijing has taunted Canberra about possible missile strikes on Australian soil.
Last year the Global Times editor, Hu Xijin, tweeted: 'Preparing for war? Then build an antimissile
