Australia says a Chinese fighter jet made a dangerous maneuver, threatening the security of one of its maritime surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea.
Australia says a Chinese fighter jet made a dangerous maneuver, threatening the security of one of its maritime surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea.
Australia said on Sunday that a Chinese fighter jet made a dangerous maneuver that threatened the safety of one of its maritime surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea and forced it to return to base.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government expressed concern to China over the May 26 incident, which the Defense Ministry said took place in international airspace where a Chinese J-16 carried a P-8A Poseidon on routine patrol. The surveillance aircraft was stopped.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said the Chinese J-16 flew too close to the Australian aircraft and released flares and husks that had been ingested by the engines of Poseidon, a converted Boeing 737-800.
“The J-16 … accelerated and cut through the nose of the P-8, settling a very close distance in front of the P-8,” he told reporters in Melbourne. “At the time, it left a bundle of husks, which contain small bits of aluminum, some of which were inserted into the engine of the P-8 aircraft. Obviously, this is very dangerous.”
He said the P-8 crew responded professionally and returned the plane to its base.
There was no official response from Beijing on Sunday.
Such incidents are not unprecedented. In April 2001, a collision between a US EP-3 surveillance aircraft and a Chinese Air Force jet resulted in the death of a Chinese pilot and a 10-day detention of US air crew by China.
Relations between Australia and China have been strained for years after Beijing refused high-level exchanges in response to Beijing’s imposition of trade barriers and Canberra’s rules targeting foreign interference in its domestic politics.
Australia and others have also sought to halt Chinese incursions into the South Pacific, including Beijing’s signing of a security deal with the Solomon Islands that could result in the deployment of Chinese troops and ships to the archipelago, Which is less than 2,000 kilometers from the Australian coast. ,
Last month’s incident comes amid increasingly aggressive behavior by Chinese forces in border areas and targeting aircraft, ships and land forces from India, Canada, the United States and the Philippines.
In February, Australia said a Chinese Navy ship also fired a laser at one of its Poseidon surveillance planes, illuminating it while flying over Australia’s northern approaches and endangering crew safety. was.
China claims the entirety of the South China Sea and has been under constant pressure against other countries with its claims over parts of the strategic waterway. This includes the construction of military facilities on artificial islands and the oppression of foreign fishing vessels and military missions in Hawaii and international seas.
Earlier this year, US Indo-Pacific Commander Adm. John C. Aquilino said China has completely militarized at least three of its island holdings, equipping them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment, and military aircraft.
The US and its allies have consistently challenged Chinese claims by conducting patrols and military exercises in the region, despite agreements aimed at de-escalating tensions, prompting an angry backlash from Beijing.
“We are acting completely within our rights… Most of our trade passes through the South China Sea,” Mr. Marles said. “This incident will not prevent Australia from engaging in activities that are within our rights and within international law to ensure freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, as it is fundamentally in the interest of our country.”