| Sumario: | This article sheds light on how visual images—particularly non-photographic artwork—can shape international incidents between states. It employs an interpretive framework based on aesthetic theory and strategic narrative to examine the 2020 diplomatic spat between Australia and China over an illustration titled Peace Force by Chinese digital artist Wuheqilin. Peace Force, which depicts an Australian soldier murdering an Afghan child in reference to the Brereton Report, elicited uncharacteristically angry responses from the Australian government. We argue that Australia's strong response to Peace Force was more than a mere deflection strategy, but instead a collective emotional response by Australian elites to a visually-conveyed narrative threat to Australia's national identity. Australia's counter-narrative strategy was not only to contest the Chinese visual narrative's political message but also the aesthetic essence of the image itself, including the non-photographic visual medium. Based on this case, we suggest that strategic narratives involving political artwork contain both 'political' and 'aesthetic' layers with equal importance. In addition to providing a detailed account of a particularly notorious incident in Australia-China relations, this article contributes to the broader visual politics and strategic narrative agendas in international relations.
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