SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia has raised concerns with China over what it said was “unsafe and unprofessional” actions by a Chinese fighter jet towards an Australian maritime patrol in the South China Sea on Tuesday.
A Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was conducting a routine surveillance patrol in the South China Sea when a Chinese PLA J-16 fighter jet released flares in close proximity to the RAAF P-8A aircraft, the Defence Department said in a statement.
“This was an unsafe and unprofessional manoeuvre that posed a risk to the aircraft and personnel,” said the statement, adding there were no injuries.
Australia’s defence department also noted that a Chinese navy task group was operating in Australia’s north.
A People’s Liberation Army Navy frigate, cruiser and replenishment vessel had entered Australia’s maritime approaches, with the Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang transiting the waters to Australia’s north, the Defence Department said in a separate statement on Thursday.
“Australia respects the rights of all states to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law, just as we expect others to respect Australia’s right to do the same,” the statement said.
(Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Michael Perry)
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