Flares released by a Chinese pilot came within 30 metres of an Australian P-8 surveillance plane, according to the Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles.
Australia has accused a Chinese fighter jet of almost hitting one of its surveillance planes with flares during an interaction earlier this week in international airspace over the South China Sea.
The Australian government has expressed its concerns to Beijing about the incident, which occurred on Tuesday when one of its P-8 planes came across two Chinese J-16 fighter jets.
In a statement, Canberra said one of the Chinese aircraft had engaged in an “unsafe and unprofessional manoeuvre” that posed a risk to its personnel.
“Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a safe and professional manner,” it added.
The Chinese embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Speaking to Sky News on Thursday, the Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said flares fired by the Chinese plane passed within 30 metres of the P-8 surveillance jet.
“The J-16 was so close that there’s no way you could have been able to ensure that the flares did not hit the P-8,” he said.
“Had any of those flares hit the P-8, that would have definitely had the potential for significant damage to that aircraft,” he added.
The incident is the first known clash between the two countries in nine months.
Australia said one of its helicopter pilots had to take evasive action last May to avoid flares dropped by a Chinese J-10 fighter plane over the Yellow Sea.
Canberra also accused the Chinese navy of using sonar pulses in international waters off Japan in November 2023, saying Australian divers were injured as a result.
In a bid to counter China, Australia joined the trilateral Aukus security partnership with the US and the UK in 2021. Under the agreement, Canberra will gain nuclear-powered submarines for the first time.
