Scott Morrison doesn't often lay into China the way he did this week.

Lately, we've been trying to mend the fence with our biggest trading partner to end a growing trade war, driven by Beijing.

But yesterday, the Prime Minister's rare display of outrage was brought on by a tweet taunting Australian soldiers over war crimes allegations.

So was it an emotional slip up, or a strategic long play?

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Bill Birtles, ABC China Correspondent