A Chinese warship’s “lasering” of an Australian spy plane in the Arafura Sea is a sign the Chinese military is looking to operate further afield and is not afraid to show hostility, military analysts say.
As the Morrison government stepped up its protests over last week’s incident, Chinese state-run media accused Australia of provocation by allowing a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A surveillance jet to fly too close to Chinese warships while they were in Australia’s exclusive economic zone last Thursday.
Michael Smith is the health editor for The Australian Financial Review. He is based in Sydney. Connect with Michael on Twitter. Email Michael at michael.smith@afr.com
