China warns Australia of ‘serious consequences’ over ‘provocative’ jet incident

Beijing says a major incident involving a Chinese fighter and an Australian aircraft in international airspace “seriously endangered the security of China’s sovereignty”.

A major incident involving a Chinese fighter plane and an Australian reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace “seriously endangered the security of China’s sovereignty”, according to Beijing.

China’s military spokesman Tan Kefei, addressing the incident for the first time, also warned Australia will “bear all the serious consequences” if it doesn’t “immediately cease similar dangerous provocative acts”.

A Chinese J-16 fighter jet. Picture: Chinese Ministry of Defence

The federal government in a statement on Sunday revealed that, on May 26, “a RAAF P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft during a routine maritime surveillance activity in international airspace in the South China Sea region”.

Defence stated the intercept resulted in a dangerous manoeuvre which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described China’s actions as an “act of aggression and a dangerous act”.

An RAAF P8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft.

But Mr Kefei, in a statement published on WeChat, claimed an “Australian P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft entered airspace near China’s Paracel islands carrying out low, close reconnaissance, despite warnings from the Chinese side to turn around, it continued to approach the airspace”.

“The People’s Liberation Army southern theatre Air Force & Naval command carried out verification of the plane and decided to warn and drive it away,” he said.

“The Australian military plane seriously endangered the security of China’s sovereignty.”

Mr Kefei said the Chinese military’s counter measures — which Australia said included the release of chaff or small bits of aluminium sucked into jet engines to damage them — were “professional and safe, reasonable and lawful”.

“The Australian side has confused right from wrong, is spreading false information, is seeking to create confrontation. China resolutely opposes this,” he said.

“We have sternly warned the Australian side to immediately cease similar dangerous

provocative acts, strictly restrain the actions of the navy and air force, otherwise, it will

bear all the serious consequences.”