Australia on Sunday accused the Chinese military of endangering the safety of the crew of its military plane after it was intercepted by a Chinese fighter late last month over the South China Sea.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles revealed that on May 26 a Chinese fighter had intercepted an Australian P-8 reconnaissance plane, which flew at a close distance and launched heat balloons, then increased its speed and intercepted the Australian plane's path.
"At that time (the Chinese plane) emptied a cloud of fibers that included small pieces of aluminum, some of which entered the engine of the P-8 plane," Marls said in a media statement on Sunday.
He continued, "Obviously, this is a very dangerous matter."
The crew of the plane was not harmed and were able to return to their base, according to Marls, but Australia informed Beijing that the incident raises concern, knowing that the interception process is the first contact with the Chinese army since the formation of a new government in Australia on May 21.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was not unusual for Australia to carry out reconnaissance over the South China Sea, an area that China considers fully under its sovereignty despite the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague refuting Beijing's allegations.
The hardening of the Chinese position has led to an escalation of tension with the United States and its allies, and Washington insists on implementing the principle of freedom of navigation in the region.
Albanese said Australia had acted "in accordance with international law, exercising the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters".
The incident comes just three months after Australia accused the Chinese army of directing a laser beam at an Australian military aircraft over waters off the northern coast of Australia.
The former Australian government described the incident as an "act of intimidation", stressing that it could put lives at risk.
Earlier this month, Canada made a similar accusation, saying the Chinese air force had acted "unprofessional" and threatened the safety of Canadian military personnel in international airspace in Asia.
Canadian planes have been deployed to Japan as part of efforts by several countries to enforce sanctions imposed on North Korea.
While flying, Canadian pilots sometimes had to suddenly change course "to avoid a potential collision with the aircraft that attempted to intercept them," according to the Canadian military.
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- Agencies