Australian plane in ‘very dangerous’ incident with Chinese fighter jet & More Trending News

The fighter then launched “a bundle of chaff”, which included small items of aluminium. Some of that chaff entered the engines of the surveillance plane.

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“Quite obviously, this is very dangerous,” Marles mentioned.

The defence minister mentioned the crew responded professionally and returned the plane to base and all crew had been unhurt. He has directed the Chief of the Defence Force and the Department to specific considerations over the incident to Chinese authorities, significantly stressing the security of the plane and crew had been put in jeopardy.

“The activity of the P-8 form part of maritime surveillance activity which has been undertaken by Australia in the South China Sea for decades – other countries do the same,” Marles mentioned.

“I want to make it also very clear that this incident will not deter Australia from continuing to engage in these activities, which are within our rights and international law, to ensure that there is freedom of navigation in the South China Sea because that is fundamentally in our nation’s interest.”

Defence mentioned Australia has carried out maritime surveillance in the area for many years and obeys worldwide regulation, “exercising the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace”.

The incident comes simply three months after a Chinese navy vessel aimed a military-grade laser at one other Australian surveillance plane in the Arafura Sea between the Northern Territory and Papua.

The February incident risked the lives of the plane crew, Defence mentioned, strongly condemning the “unprofessional and unsafe military conduct”.

Then-prime minister Scott Morrison mentioned he demanded solutions from Beijing over the “act of intimidation”, however China’s international ministry hit again saying Australia was “maliciously” spreading false data.

This week Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi completed his tour of the Pacific, ending in East Timor and Papua New Guinea after signing bilateral agreements with nations together with the Solomon Islands.

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Speaking to media together with the ABC in PNG, Wang mentioned a reset in the China-Australian relationship would require concrete motion.

“[Our] Australia ties have run into difficulties in recent years. The crux of the problem lies in the fact that some political forces in Australia insist on treating China as an adversary rather than a partner, and in portraying China’s development as a threat rather than an opportunity,” he mentioned.

“Such moves have led to a significant reversal of Australia’s positive and pragmatic China policy pursued for many years.”

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