Australia has condemned the “incredibly dangerous” actions of a Chinese jet fighter after it dropped flares in front of a navy helicopter, with the prime minister labelling it unprofessional and unacceptable.
The Royal Australian Navy Seahawk helicopter was forced to take “evasive action” to prevent being hit by flares launched by a J-10 Chinese Air Force plane, Defence Minister Richard Marles has revealed.
The flares were dropped about 300 metres in front of the chopper and about 60 metres above it, but the helicopter was unaffected and all the crew were safe.
The navy aircraft was on a routine flight and operating from HMAS Hobart as part of an international effort to enforce UN sanctions on North Korea when the incident took place about 7.30pm on Saturday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he has made “appropriate diplomatic representations” to Beijing through all channels available to his government.
“We’ve made it very clear to China that this is unprofessional and that it’s unacceptable,” he told the Today show on Tuesday.
“It’s important that we make clear our position, which has been done at the diplomatic levels, at government to government, but also defence to defence as well.
“It’s important that we speak out when events like this occur.”
China has not yet responded publicly, but Mr Albanese expects they will in due course.
“The Australian public would expect some form of explanation about how this could occur, because it was not behaviour that we expect when Australia is going about playing a role … as good international citizens,” he said.
He expects to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping face-to-face at the G20 and APEC meetings in late 2024.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said also condemned the helicopter incident as “provocative, dangerous and unnecessary”.
“An Australian Defence Force member or members are going to lose their lives at some point because there will be an error in judgment by one of the fighter pilots or one of the naval personnel from the China side,” he told the Today show.
“They have put Australian lives at risk and that is completely unacceptable.”
Jennifer Parker, an expert associate at the Australian National University’s National Security College, says the episode was “incredibly dangerous” for those onboard the helicopter as it could have ingested the flares, shutting down its engine.
“We could have seen the helicopter need to ditch, potential injuries, or loss of life,” she told ABC radio.
“So this isn’t normal by any stretch of the imagination.
“Whilst the diplomatic and the economic relationship may have stabilised from where it was, from a military perspective China is still being incredibly aggressive in the region.”
In November, Australian navy divers from HMAS Toowoomba were injured after a Chinese warship issued sonar pulses.
At the end of April, the Philippines also accused China’s coast guard of damaging two boats in the South China Sea.
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