China has accused Australia of spreading a "false narrative" and instigating an incident in which a Chinese fighter jet released flares in front of an Australian military aircraft. Australian defense officials revealed on Tuesday that a People's Liberation Army (PLA) fighter jet released flares within 30 meters of an Australian aircraft conducting "routine surveillance" over disputed waters in the South China Sea, raising concerns about flight safety and regional stability.
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03-21, 2025The Australian Department of Defence stated that no personnel were injured and the Australian aircraft was not damaged in the incident, but a formal protest has been lodged with the PLA in both Canberra and Beijing. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang on Friday countered the Australian Department of Defence's claim that China's actions were "unsafe and unprofessional," asserting the PLA's actions were justified and necessary.
Zhang Xiaogang stated: "Australia deliberately infringed on China's rights in the South China Sea, provoked China, and is instead making false accusations and spreading a false narrative." He accused the Australian military aircraft of disregarding the main routes of busy waterways, calling it "intruding into someone else's home." Zhang Xiaogang emphasized that China's response was a reasonable and legitimate act of safeguarding its sovereignty, aimed at ensuring maritime security and regional stability.
Zhang Xiaogang urged Australia to abandon "illusions of speculation and adventurism," restrain its frontline naval and air forces, and refrain from "stirring up trouble" in the South China Sea, thereby harming others and itself. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the Australian aircraft was in international airspace and acting in accordance with international law. He said: "We are not the only country that does this. But it is important that we uphold the rules." Marles stated that the incident was dangerous because "the pilot of the Chinese J-16 fighter jet had no control over where the flares would land," potentially endangering other aircraft or vessels in the area.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs also expressed concern over the incident, calling the actions of the Chinese aircraft an "unsafe maneuver." The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: "All states should respect freedom of navigation and overflight above international maritime lines of communication, such as the South China Sea." China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, although Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam also have overlapping sovereignty claims to the waters. China refuses to accept the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which found that China's broad sovereignty claims had no basis in international law. U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel Paparo, who is responsible for the U.S. response to any potential conflict with China, is scheduled to visit Australia amid escalating tensions over the South China Sea incident, highlighting the strategic importance of the region.
