An Australian air force P-8A Poseidon aircraft arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, July 7, 2024. (Leah Jones/U.S. Air Force)
Australian officials lodged a complaint after a Chinese military aircraft released flares near an Australian surveillance plane over the South China Sea on Sunday.
An Australian air force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft had an “unsafe and unprofessional” interaction with a Chinese Su-35 fighter, Australia’s Defence Ministry said in a statement Monday.
The Australian plane was undamaged and its crew members were uninjured, according to the statement. “This was an unsafe and unprofessional maneuver that posed a risk to the aircraft and its personnel,” the ministry said.
China’s state-run Global Times reported Monday that the country’s Southern Theater Command had warned the Australian aircraft for what is described as intruding into Chinese airspace.
“We urge the Australian side to immediately stop such provocative moves,” Col. Li Jianjian, a spokesperson for the command, said in a statement, according to the newspaper. “The troops in the theater are on high alert at all times to resolutely defend national sovereignty and security and peace and stability in the region.”
Australia has carried out maritime surveillance in the region for decades, the Defence Ministry said, noting that patrols are carried out in accordance with international law and the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace.
Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a safe and professional manner, the statement said.
A similar incident occurred in February, when a Chinese military plane fired flares at an Australian P-8 over the South China Sea.
The incident coincided with a White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
During their talks, the two leaders reaffirmed their nations’ growing defense cooperation and signed agreements on critical minerals, defense, technology and investment. The agreements follow moves by China to impose export controls on rare earth minerals used to manufacture electronics, weapons and electric vehicles.
