China, Australia Swap Raps on Aircraft Confrontation Over South China Sea

China accused Australia of distorting facts and using inflammatory rhetoric following a mid-air encounter between the nations’ military aircraft, urging Canberra to avoid undermining bilateral ties, Catherine Wong reported for Bloomberg News.

According to the Australian government, the P-8A Poseidon was on a “routine maritime surveillance patrol that took place in international airspace, above international waters." (Photo: Royal Australian Air Force Facebook)

Beijing made “stern representations” to Canberra after Australia said that a Chinese aircraft intercepted an Australian patrol plane in an “unsafe and unprofessional” manner over the South China Sea on Sunday, and that the PLA-AF Su-35 fighter jet “released flares in close proximity” to the RAAF plane.

The Chinese Defense Ministry said Australia’s statement “distorts the facts and falsely accuses China in an attempt to cover up its military aircraft’s illegal intrusion into Chinese airspace.”

Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles rejected that claim, saying the P-8A Poseidon was on a “routine maritime surveillance patrol that took place in international airspace, above international waters, and at every moment our crew was adhering to international law.”

China is Australia’s largest trading partner, and the two governments only recently patched up ties that had deteriorated sharply during the pandemic.

The United States remains Australia’s closest security ally, and as tensions between Washington and Beijing escalate, Canberra continues to struggle to balance its economic and strategic interests between the two powers.