China has hit back at claims by the Albanese government that it acted in an ‘unsafe and unprofessional’ manner by releasing flares near an Australian military plane.
A Chinese fighter jet released flares in close proximity to a Royal Australian Air Force plane in international airspace over the South China Sea on Sunday.
The federal government has lodged a diplomatic protest over the incident, describing it as ‘unsafe and unprofessional’.
However, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) attempted to shift the blame in a sharp rebuke on Monday, accusing Australia of ‘illegally intruding’ its airspace.
‘On October 19, an Australian P-8A military aircraft illegally intruded the airspace over China’s Xisha Islands without the approval of the Chinese government,’ Senior Colonel Li Jianjian said in a statement.
China claims the Xisha or Paracel Islands as its territory, but so too does Vietnam and Taiwan.
Colonel Li said Chinese naval and air forces were deployed to monitor and deter the encroaching 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 said.
China has hit back against claims by the Albanese government it acted in an ‘unsafe and unprofessional’ manner by releasing flares close to an Australian military plane
China has lashed out against Australia’s diplomatic protest over the incident, accusing Australia of ‘illegally intruding’ Chinese airspace. Pictured is Chinese President Xi Jinping
‘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.’
It came after Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles on Monday announced Australia had lodged a diplomatic protest over the incident.
He said the Australian surveillance plane was conducting a routine patrol when the Chinese jet released its flares, including two ‘very close’ to the aircraft.
Marles said flare drops are a ‘reasonably standard interaction’ between military aircraft but the proximity to the Australian aircraft made it ‘unsafe’.
‘No damage was done, but it was dangerous,’ he told Seven News.
‘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.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong described the Chinese flare deployment as ‘highly risky’ and said Australia would continue to assert its right to use international airspace
A number of Australian officials have condemned the move by China, including Foreign Minister Penny Wong who described the incident as ‘highly risky’.
Both Wong and Marles said Australia would continue to assert its rights over international waters and airspace, undeterred by the incident.
Speaking on Tuesday, Marles again defended the behaviour of Australian defence personnel during the incident, claiming it was flying over international waters.
‘At every moment our crew was adhering to international law,’ he said.
The Asian superpower denounced the international tribunal’s finding as a ‘piece of waste paper’.
