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The fighter then launched “a bundle of chaff”, which included small items of aluminium. A few of that chaff entered the engines of the surveillance aircraft.
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“Fairly clearly, that is very harmful,” Marles mentioned.
The defence minister mentioned the crew responded professionally and returned the plane to base and all crew have been unhurt. He has directed the Chief of the Defence Drive and the Division to specific issues over the incident to Chinese language authorities, significantly stressing the security of the plane and crew had been put in jeopardy.
“The exercise of the P-8 kind a part of maritime surveillance exercise which has been undertaken by Australia within the South China Sea for many years – different international locations do the identical,” Marles mentioned.
“I need to make it additionally very clear that this incident is not going to deter Australia from persevering with to interact in these actions, that are inside our rights and worldwide regulation, to make sure that there may be freedom of navigation within the South China Sea as a result of that’s basically in our nation’s curiosity.”
Defence mentioned Australia has carried out maritime surveillance within the area for many years and obeys worldwide regulation, “exercising the suitable to freedom of navigation and overflight in worldwide waters and airspace”.
The incident comes simply three months after a Chinese language navy vessel aimed a military-grade laser at one other Australian surveillance plane within the Arafura Sea between the Northern Territory and Papua.
The February incident risked the lives of the plane crew, Defence mentioned, strongly condemning the “unprofessional and unsafe navy conduct”.
Then-prime minister Scott Morrison mentioned he demanded solutions from Beijing over the “act of intimidation”, however China’s international ministry hit again saying Australia was “maliciously” spreading false data.
This week Chinese language Overseas Minister Wang Yi completed his tour of the Pacific, ending in East Timor and Papua New Guinea after signing bilateral agreements with international locations together with the Solomon Islands.
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Chatting with media together with the ABC in PNG, Wang mentioned a reset within the China-Australian relationship would require concrete motion.
“[Our] Australia ties have run into difficulties in recent times. The crux of the issue lies in the truth that some political forces in Australia insist on treating China as an adversary fairly than a accomplice, and in portraying China’s growth as a menace fairly than a possibility,” he mentioned.
“Such strikes have led to a major reversal of Australia’s optimistic and pragmatic China coverage pursued for a few years.”
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