Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned an incident in which a Chinese fighter jet forced an Australian military plane into a dangerous manoeuvre over the South China Sea. Describing it as 'an act of aggression and a dangerous act', Mr Albanese spoke to reporters in Jakarta on Monday evening.
The Australian government revealed that on 26 May 2022, a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter jet during a routine patrol in international airspace. Defence Minister Richard Marles provided further details, stating that the J-16 flew very close to the side of the P-8, released flares, accelerated and cut across the nose of the Australian aircraft, then released a bundle of chaff containing small pieces of aluminium, some of which were ingested into the P-8's engine.
International law expert Professor Donald Rothwell from the Australian National University said that Australian aircraft have an unquestionable right to fly in international airspace under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Chicago Convention. He noted that if the incident occurred in international airspace, China's interference would be a breach of international law.
The incident follows similar encounters between Canadian aircraft and Chinese air force pilots, which Canada described as unprofessional and risky. Dr Euan Graham, a maritime security expert, suggested that China may be testing the resolve of US allies, as Beijing appears to react differently to US aircraft conducting similar surveillance.
Australia has not disclosed the exact location of the intercept or how close the aircraft came to each other. Reports indicate that similar incidents may have occurred in 2020, but details remain unconfirmed. The Australian Defence Department has not responded to questions about the total number of air interceptions in recent years.
