Australia Confronts China Over 'Unsafe' Mid-Air Incident In South China Sea

Australia has demanded an explanation from Beijing after a Chinese warplane released flares near a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) surveillance aircraft earlier this week.

"The Australian government has expressed its concerns to the Chinese government following an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with a People's Liberation Army — Air Force (PLA-AF) aircraft," the Australian Defence Force (ADF) said in a statement.

According to the ADF, the incident occurred on Tuesday, when the J-16 aircraft released flares just 30 meters from the RAAF P-8 Poseidon.

"On 11 February 2025, a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft conducting a routine maritime surveillance patrol in the South China Sea experienced an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with a PLA-AF J-16 fighter aircraft," the statement added.

Officials confirmed that no personnel were injured and the P-8A aircraft involved in the incident was not damaged, reported ABC News.

Defence Minister Richard Marles described the encounter as dangerous, and confirmed that Australia had raised its concerns with the Chinese government on both Wednesday and Thursday.

"An Australian Air Force P-8 aircraft in international airspace was challenged above the South China Sea by two J-16 Chinese Air Force fast jets, there were a number of interactions between those jets and the P-8," Marles stated. "But one of the interactions involved the deployment of flares very close to the Australian P-8 such that those flares passed within about 30 metres of the Australian aircraft."

Beijing, meanwhile, responded to the incident by accusing Australia of "deliberate intrusion" into Chinese airspace.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, said on Thursday evening that the Australian aircraft had jeopardized China's national security. China further claimed it had taken "proper, legal and professional measures to exercise restraint."

Chinese warships near Australia's coast

In a separate development, the ADF revealed it was closely monitoring the activities of three Chinese warships operating off Australia's northeast coast. These vessels, which are not related to the South China Sea incident, include two Chinese Navy frigates and a replenishment ship navigating the Coral Sea, News.com reported.

"Defence is aware of a People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) task group operating to the north east of Australia," the ADF confirmed. "Defence can confirm the Chinese vessels are the PLA-N Jiangkai-class frigate named Hengyang; the PLA-N Renhai cruiser named Zunyi and the PLA-N Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu."

Though the presence of the Chinese warships raised concerns, defence sources reassured that the vessels were operating in compliance with international maritime law. However, one of the ships was reported to have passed through the Torres Strait.

"Defence will continue to monitor the activities of the task group in Australia's maritime approaches with a combination of capabilities, including air and maritime assets," the department said.

Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie strongly condemned China's actions, asserting that the dangerous behavior of the warplane posed a serious risk to the lives of Australian Defence Force personnel.