Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles condemned the “unsafe and unprofessional” behavior of the Chinese military and said a fighter jet dropped flares near an Australian surveillance plane over the South China Sea.
Australia’s defense forces raised “concerns” about the incident in a statement, saying it posed a risk to Royal Australian Air Force personnel and their aircraft. There were no injuries or damage as a result of the actions.
It is at least the third such incident in the past 18 months, with similar encounters occurring in February and May 2024.
The Australian surveillance plane, a P-8A Poseidon, is built on a modified Boeing 737 fuselage, meaning it cannot maneuver quickly compared to a fighter jet.
Marles said the Chinese fighter jet dropped the flares “very close” to the Australian plane on Sunday, but did not say whether it was directly in its flight path.
“It was dangerous and unsafe, and inherent to that… it could have been a different outcome,” Marles, who is also defense minister, said Monday.
“And it is because we determined that it is unsafe and unprofessional that we are now making it public and following the established procedures we apply when this occurs.”
In a statement posted on the defense department’s website, the Australian government said it “expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries safely and professionally.”
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“For decades, the ADF has carried out maritime surveillance activities in the region and does so in accordance with international law, exercising the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace,” he said.
Guardian Australia has contacted the Chinese embassy in Canberra for comment.
In February, shortly before the federal election, Australia rejected Chinese accusations that a RAAF aircraft “deliberately entered China’s airspace” and undermined its national security. It came after a Chinese navy fighter pilot dropped flares near the Australian plane.
The federal government previously said an Australian helicopter on a UN mission in May 2024 had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by flares launched by a Chinese fighter jet in another incident condemned as “unacceptable”.
Australia and allies such as the United States and regional partners routinely conduct freedom of navigation exercises in international waters in the South China Sea in accordance with international law.
The region is disputed, with Beijing claiming much of it belongs to China, while Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines dispute those claims.
