Australia has accused China of carrying out "unsafe and unprofessional" military jet manoeuvres in the South China Sea, sparking concerns over Beijing's growing assertiveness in the region.
According to an Australian Defence Department statement on Monday, a Chinese military aircraft released flares "in close proximity" to Australia's P-8A patrol jet, which was unharmed in the incident. The department described the manoeuvre as "unsafe and unprofessional", highlighting tensions between Canberra and Beijing.
China, however, has responded that it expelled the Australian jet from its airspace and claimed that Australia had illegally intruded into Chinese territory. Senior Colonel Li Jianjian, a spokesperson for China's Southern Theater Command Air Force, also called on Canberra to "immediately cease its infringing and provocative actions".
This latest incident marks the latest in a string of confrontations between the two countries' militaries over territorial claims in the region. Australia has aligned itself closely with its allies, including the US, and has consistently rejected China's assertions as having no legal basis.
The Australian government's reaction to the incident comes on the heels of previous encounters between the two nations' planes. In February, an Australian jet was accused by China of dropping flares near its plane in international airspace. Australia responded that it had unintentionally intruded into Chinese airspace and took steps to rectify the situation.
In November 2023, Canberra also criticized Beijing's use of sonar pulses off Japan, which resulted in injuries to Australian divers. The latest incident highlights growing tensions between Australia and China over territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The issue has significant implications for regional security, with many countries watching closely as Beijing's assertiveness continues to escalate. Aukus, a multi-billion dollar submarine deal between Australia, the US and the UK, is also expected to be discussed during an upcoming meeting between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump.
According to an Australian Defence Department statement on Monday, a Chinese military aircraft released flares "in close proximity" to Australia's P-8A patrol jet, which was unharmed in the incident. The department described the manoeuvre as "unsafe and unprofessional", highlighting tensions between Canberra and Beijing.
China, however, has responded that it expelled the Australian jet from its airspace and claimed that Australia had illegally intruded into Chinese territory. Senior Colonel Li Jianjian, a spokesperson for China's Southern Theater Command Air Force, also called on Canberra to "immediately cease its infringing and provocative actions".
This latest incident marks the latest in a string of confrontations between the two countries' militaries over territorial claims in the region. Australia has aligned itself closely with its allies, including the US, and has consistently rejected China's assertions as having no legal basis.
The Australian government's reaction to the incident comes on the heels of previous encounters between the two nations' planes. In February, an Australian jet was accused by China of dropping flares near its plane in international airspace. Australia responded that it had unintentionally intruded into Chinese airspace and took steps to rectify the situation.
In November 2023, Canberra also criticized Beijing's use of sonar pulses off Japan, which resulted in injuries to Australian divers. The latest incident highlights growing tensions between Australia and China over territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The issue has significant implications for regional security, with many countries watching closely as Beijing's assertiveness continues to escalate. Aukus, a multi-billion dollar submarine deal between Australia, the US and the UK, is also expected to be discussed during an upcoming meeting between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump.
they're doin these super unsafe jet manouvres & releasing flares close 2 australia's planes 
it's like, what r u even trying 2 do?? 
i feel bad 4 australia tho, esp since their plane wasnt even hurt 
but china's all like "cease ur provocations" lol like china needs 2 stop doin the provocative stuff first 
Australia is just trying to protect its interests, and I think that's okay. It's not like China was aggressive or anything... but then again, some people might say Australia was the one who overstepped boundaries 
. The thing is, we have no way of knowing what really happened in the skies 
. All we can do is watch and see how it all plays out. I'm just worried that things are going to get worse before they get better 
. Can't we just talk about this stuff instead of resorting to military jets? 
they got to test their P-8A's skills in a real-life situation without any actual harm coming to them. And China's response just proves that they're trying way too hard to look tough, it's like they're begging for a confrontation 
What's going on here?! China thinks it can just bully its way around everyone in the South China Sea? Like, seriously? Australia's P-8A jet is totally fine and professional, and what does China do? Releases flares "in close proximity" to it! 
Unprofessional much?! 
i just hope they can resolve this without any major incidents... 
i mean, china says australia intruded on its airspace but it sounds like aussies were just trying to stay safe 
meanwhile aukus submarine deal is gonna be a thing too...fingers crossed no more plane flares in the middle of the pacific 
Australia's trying to stand up for itself but china's just not having it 
this aukus thingy is gonna be super interesting to watch... will it happen? only time will tell 
. Newsflash: tensions are always gonna be high when you've got major powers vying for control over resources and territory... but can't we just have some actual dialogue instead of resorting to sabre-rattling? 
And what's with all these military exercises? Can't they just chill?