Australia expresses concerns over 'unprofessional' interaction involving Chinese aircraft in South China Sea

By Anadolu staff

Australia on Monday expressed concern over what it called an "unsafe" and "unprofessional" interaction in the South China Sea, when a Chinese Su-35 fighter jet allegedly released flares near an Australian Air Force maritime patrol aircraft.

The incident occurred on Sunday as a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was conducting a surveillance mission in the South China Sea, the Australian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"The PLA-AF (Peoples Liberation Army- Air Force) aircraft released flares in close proximity to the RAAF P-8A aircraft. This was an unsafe and unprofessional maneuver that posed a risk to the aircraft and its personnel," the statement said.

There was no immediate reaction from Beijing to Canberra’s statement at the time of publication.

No injuries were sustained by Australian Defense Force (ADF) personnel nor was damage caused to the RAAF P-8A, the statement added, noting that "the safety and wellbeing of our ADF personnel continues to be our utmost priority."

Australia said it expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a "safe and professional manner."

"All maritime claims must be consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," it concluded.