The Australian Department of Defense stated on Thursday that a Chinese fighter jet launched flares towards an Australian Air Force P-8 surveillance plane conducting a patrol mission over the South China Sea on Tuesday.
The incident occurred with the two planes only 30 meters apart, fortunately resulting in no injuries to personnel and no damage to the aircraft.
In their statement, the Australian Department of Defense expressed concern to China regarding the unsafe and unprofessional interaction between the People’s Liberation Army Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force’s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft during its routine surveillance mission in the South China Sea on February 11.
Australia hopes that all countries, including China, will conduct military operations in a safe and professional manner. Over the decades, the Australian Defense Force has been conducting maritime surveillance activities in the region, exercising the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace in accordance with international law.
This incident brings to mind another event from May last year when a Chinese military aircraft dangerously deployed flares towards an Australian helicopter carrying out a United Nations mission in international waters.
Additionally, in November 2023, a Chinese warship directed sonar pulses at Australian divers, prompting protests from the Australian government.
In response to these incidents, the Australian Department of Defense has officially lodged protests with Beijing and Chinese officials stationed in Australia.
Simultaneously, defense officials disclosed that the Australian Defense Force is currently monitoring three Chinese warships operating in the Coral Sea off northern Australia.
These warships include the Jiangki-class frigate “Hengyang,” the Renhai-class cruiser “Zunyi,” and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel “Weishanhu.” The activities of these warships are currently not in violation of international law.
The Department of Defense stated, “The Department will continue to monitor the activities of this task force in Australian waters using integrated capabilities, including air and maritime assets.”
Since mid-2023, reports of aggressive and dangerous actions by Chinese ships in the South China Sea have been steadily increasing.
Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire region, but several countries, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam, dispute this. The area is estimated to hold around 11 billion barrels of untapped oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
China insists that foreign military vessels are not allowed to conduct reconnaissance flights or intelligence-gathering activities within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The United States and its allies, including Australia, argue that under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ships should have the freedom of navigation in EEZs without notifying other countries of military activities.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines’ complaint against China under UNCLOS, supporting the majority of the Philippines’ claims. Despite being a signatory to the treaty that established the court, China rejected its jurisdiction.
(Source: The Epoch Times)