A confrontation occurred in the South China Sea this week when a Chinese fighter jet deployed flares in front of an Australian P-8A surveillance aircraft, according to Australian authorities.
The Australian defence ministry reported no injuries or damage to their aircraft from Tuesday’s incident but expressed concerns to Chinese officials about what they termed an “unsafe and unprofessional interaction.”
Chinese officials countered this characterization, stating that the Australian aircraft had “intentionally intruded” into Chinese airspace. They defended their fighter jet’s response as “legitimate, lawful, professional, and restrained.”
This incident adds to ongoing military encounters between the two nations in the region. China maintains extensive territorial claims over various islands and outcrops in the South China Sea, which overlap with claims from neighboring countries. Australia, while holding no territorial claims in the area, aligns with the US and its allies in disputing the legal basis of China’s assertions.
“Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a safe and professional manner,” the Australian defense department stated Thursday.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded by accusing Australia of violating Chinese sovereignty, urging Canberra to “stop undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea.”
Similar incidents have occurred recently. In May last year, Australia reported a Chinese fighter plane dropping flares near an Australian navy helicopter during a UN Security Council mission on the Yellow Sea. In November 2023, Australia claimed Chinese naval sonar pulses in international waters off Japan caused injuries to Australian divers.
In a separate development Thursday, Australian authorities announced they were monitoring three Chinese navy vessels operating northeast of Australia. These ships had traversed South East Asia before entering Australia’s maritime approaches, with one vessel entering waters in the country’s north.
The Australian defence department stated: “Australia respects the rights of all states to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law, just as we expect others to respect Australia’s right to do the same.”
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