China has warned Australia to stop "provocative" actions in the South China Sea region after a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) surveillance plane was dangerously intercepted in an area near the Paracel Islands.
File photo of an Australian air force (RAAF) P-8A plane. Photo: Royal Australian Air Force
It was the first official confirmation from Chinese defence officials that the interception happened.
The Australian Department of Defence revealed on Sunday that a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft flew close to an RAAF P-8 maritime surveillance plane on 26 May while it was conducting a routine patrol in international airspace.
Defence said the Chinese aircraft released flares while flying alongside the RAAF plane, before cutting in front of the P-8 and releasing a bag of "chaff" into its flight path.
The department said the "chaff" included aluminium fragments that were sucked into the engine of the Australian plane.
Chinese defence ministry spokesman Tan Kefei said while the Australian aircraft did not enter international airspace claimed by China near the Paracel Islands, the plane seriously threatened China's sovereignty and security.
"The measures taken by the Chinese military were professional, safe, reasonable and legal," Tan said.
"The Australian side has turned black and white, repeatedly spread false information, and advocated confrontation. China firmly opposes this.
China claims numerous small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, and says the area around these outcroppings are its territorial waters and airspace.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Monday that Australia should respect China's national security interests, without confirming the interception by the Chinese military.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in Indonesia on Monday, labelled the interception a dangerous act of aggression.
"In the Australian government's view, in the Defence Department's view, this was not safe, what occurred, and we've made appropriate representations to the Chinese government expressing our concern at this," he said.
Last week, the Canadian military accused Chinese planes of not following international safety norms on several occasions and putting a Canadian crew at risk.
A statement said the Chinese planes tried to divert a Canadian long-range patrol aircraft from its path, and that the crew had to change direction quickly to avoid a potential collision.
- ABC