
The prime minister stated on Tuesday that Australia has complained to Beijing via several channels about a Chinese fighter jet endangering an Australian navy helicopter over international waters with pyrotechnics.
According to officials on Monday, the incident happened on Saturday as the Australian air warfare destroyer HMAS Hobart was enforcing sanctions against North Korea in international waters in the Yellow Sea by the U.N. Security Council. No damage or injuries were reported.
The Australian public, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, was expecting an answer from China.
“We have explicitly communicated to China that this behavior is improper and unethical,” Albanese said on air on Nine Network.
“Through all of our channels, at all measures at our disposal, including here publicly, we’ve made it very clear,” Albanese remarked.
The Australian helicopter “deliberately approached Chinese airspace to provoke and disrupt, endangering China’s maritime and aerial security,” according to a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. In response, the Chinese military responded with “necessary measures,” characterizing the action as “lawful, compliant and professionally secure.”
“Sincerely informing Australia about its careless conduct,” China has made, according to a spokeswoman.
According to Albanese, it’s critical that Australia raise awareness of these kinds of interactions.
It’s critical that we communicate our stance, which has been done diplomatically, between governments, and between the defense and the defense departments. And every one of those paths has been laid out. We have brought this matter to the public’s attention so that we can state firmly and clearly that this behavior is unacceptable,” the prime minister stated.
On Monday, Australian Navy Seahawk helicopters were being deployed from Hobart when a Chinese Chengdu J-10 fighter plane launched flares into the air, according to Defense Minister Richard Marles.
He stated that the helicopter’s pilot had to “take evasive action in order to not be hit by those flares” because they were located 197 feet above and 986 feet in front of the aircraft.
According to Marles, “there would have been a significant consequence” if the flares had struck him.
He continued, “We will not be discouraged from engaging in legal activities and activities that are in place to enforce U.N. sanctions with regard to North Korea.”
Since Australia accused the Chinese warship CNS Ningbo of harming Australian naval divers in Japanese waters in November with sonar pulses, this was the most serious incident involving the two countries’ forces. China, according to Australia, ignored a safety alert to stay clear of the Australian frigate HMAS Toowoomba.
China insists that there was no harm done by the Chinese warship and that the contact happened outside of Japanese territorial waters.
When Chinese Premier Li Qiang travels to Australia the following month, Albanese stated he will bring up the incident with him.
Albanese was referring to the time frame that began in 2020 when China terminated minister-to-minister talks with the outgoing Australian government, which was defeated in 2022 elections.
Over time, any dialogue was among the things that had collapsed. Conversation is essential. Having channels of communication is always, always crucial, Albanese told reporters.
As bilateral relations have improved recently from historically low levels, Albanese asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Australia for the first time in ten years during a trip to China earlier in November. On Tuesday, he declared that Xi would not be going to Australia this year.
Nonetheless, when they both attend the G20 and APEC meetings later this year, Albanese stated he anticipates having “some face-to-face engagement” with the Chinese leader.
Former naval officer and Australian National University naval specialist Jennifer Parker called the Chinese deployment of flares “incredibly dangerous.”
“We might have witnessed the helicopter need to ditch with possible injuries or fatalities if the helicopter had ingested one of the flares into its engine,” Parker told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
“Therefore, by no means is this normal,” Parker continued. “I would consider interfering with its flight path to be a violation of international law.”