BEIJING ON WARPATH: Australia- China relations PLUMMET as PLA fighter jet releases flares ‘DANGEROUSLY CLOSE’ to RAAF plane over South China Sea
- Australian P-8A military aircraft ‘illegally intruded’ into Chinese airspace, says Beijing
- PLA Su-35 fighter jet released flares ‘very close’ to Australian plane, sparking diplomatic crisis
- Australia lodges formal protest, calling incident ‘unsafe and unprofessional’
Australia’s relations with China have reached a new low after a Chinese fighter jet released flares ‘dangerously close’ to an Australian military plane over the South China Sea, sparking a diplomatic crisis. The incident has been deemed ‘unsafe and unprofessional’ by the Australian government, which has lodged a formal protest with Beijing.
In a statement, Senior Colonel Li Jianjian from the PLA’s Southern Theatre Command said the Australian P-8A military aircraft ‘illegally intruded’ into Chinese airspace without approval. He claimed Chinese naval and air forces were deployed to ‘track, monitor, take countermeasures and warn off’ the aircraft in accordance with laws and regulations.
‘The Australian move seriously violated China’s sovereignty and could have easily triggered maritime and aerial accidents,’ Li warned. ‘We sternly warn the Australian side to immediately stop such provocative moves. The theatre forces remain on high alert at all times and will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and regional peace and stability.’
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles described the encounter as ‘unsafe and unprofessional’, saying the Australian plane was conducting a routine patrol over the South China Sea when the PLA Su-35 fighter jet released flares, two of which were ‘very close’ to the Australian aircraft.
‘No damage was done, but it was dangerous,’ Marles said. ‘The majority of Australia’s trade goes through the South China Sea, so it is profoundly important that the rules operate in this area. Having reviewed this incident very carefully, we’ve deemed it to be both unsafe and unprofessional.’
In a statement, Defence said it expects all countries, including China, to ‘operate their militaries in a safe and professional manner’. The department added that Australia’s maritime surveillance activities in the region are in accordance with international law and the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace.
The incident comes after a similar interaction in February, when a J-16 fighter dropped flares above and in front of a P-8A Poseidon as it conducted patrols over the same region. Beijing had at the time claimed it was acting to stop a ‘deliberate intrusion’ into the airspace of China’s Xisha Islands without permission, ‘infringing’ on its sovereignty and ‘endangering’ national security.
Tensions between Australia and China have been escalating in recent months, with Beijing flexing its military muscle in the region. In February, three Chinese warships circumnavigated Australia in a show of force the likes of which Australia has never seen from Beijing’s military.