An Australian Navy helicopter pilot had to take evasive action when a Chinese military fighter jet detonated flares near his aircraft in international waters near South Korea. The Australian government described the action as “unsafe and unprofessional.” The incident took place in the Yellow Sea over the weekend.
On Saturday, a MH-60R Seahawk launched from the air warfare destroyer HMAS Hobart was intercepted by the People’s Liberation Army-Air Force (PLA-AF) while participating in a U.N. mission to enforce sanctions against North Korea. The PLAAF aircraft released flares along the flight path of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) helicopter, posing a risk to the aircraft and personnel.
Although no injuries or damage occurred, the Australian Defence Department emphasized that the safety of ADF personnel is their top priority. This incident followed a confrontation between the Australian Navy Chief and his Chinese counterpart over a separate incident in November where divers were injured in a sonar attack in international waters.
China claims the encounter occurred outside Japanese territorial waters and that no harm was caused by the Chinese warship. Despite these incidents, bilateral relations between Australia and China have improved in recent years. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Australia this year for the first time in a decade.
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