Australia has accused China of aiming one of its planes with a military laser from a Chinese navy ship, which the government considers an “act of intimidation”.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a maritime patrol plane was targeted by a laser from a Chinese vessel as it flew over northern Australia, which could have endangered lives. “I can’t see this as anything other than an unwarranted act of intimidation,” he said, demanding answers from the People’s Republic.
Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, reacted on Monday and said that these accusations were “unfounded”, and that the Chinese ships present in the north of Australia were carrying out completely legal maneuvers there. “We urge Australia to respect the legitimate rights of Chinese vessels in relevant waters, in accordance with international law, and to stop spreading false information about China,” he added.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense even accused, in a press release, the Australian planes of having approached too close to the ships and of having dropped sonobuoys nearby, which are used in particular for the detection of submarines. An act deemed “provocative” by Beijing.
For several years, relations have been strained between China and Australia, due to commercial but also diplomatic disputes. In 2019, Canberra had already accused Beijing of targeting Australian military aircraft with a laser. The People’s Republic, for its part, takes a dim view of the strengthening of the alliance between Australians and Americans in an attempt to stem its influence in Asia-Pacific.