Australia has raised concerns with China following an incident in which a Chinese military aircraft reportedly released flares near an Australian patrol jet in the South China Sea. The Australian Department of Defence described the maneuver as “unsafe and unprofessional,” but stated that there was no damage to the P-8A aircraft and that personnel onboard were unharmed after the encounter, which occurred on Sunday.
In response to inquiries, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry indicated they were unaware of the incident. This event is part of a series of confrontations between the military forces of Australia and China in the South China Sea region, where territorial claims by China overlap with those of its neighboring countries.
The incident coincided with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s travel to the US for a meeting with President Donald Trump, during which discussions regarding the Aukus pact—a multi-billion dollar submarine agreement among Australia, the US, and the UK—were expected.
Earlier this year, Australia accused a Chinese aircraft of dropping flares near an Australian plane in the same area, to which China responded by asserting that the Australian jet had intruded into its airspace, describing its actions as “lawful and restrained.” Although Australia does not make territorial claims in the South China Sea, it has aligned itself with the US and its allies in contending that China’s claims lack legal standing.
Past incidents involving Australian and Chinese military interactions include allegations by Australia that a Chinese fighter plane had released flares near an Australian navy helicopter on a UN mission off the Korean coast in May 2022, and accusations in November 2023 regarding a Chinese navy vessel’s use of sonar pulses that reportedly resulted in injuries to Australian divers in international waters off Japan.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gk98j083jo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss