Australia rejects China’s claims over laser incident, denounces ‘misinformation’

The Australian Defence Force has revealed a detailed account of its surveillance activity, after issuing Beijing a ‘please explain’ over a laser attack from a Chinese warship.

Australia has rejected Beijing’s version of events leading up to the moment a Chinese warship aimed a military grade laser at a RAAF plane, revealing the aircraft was actually targeted from a distance of more than seven kilometres.

In a stunning formal rebuke, the Australian Defence Force has released a detailed account of its routine surveillance activity before and after the laser incident, stating Australia “does not engage in the spread of misinformation or disinformation”.

The statement was released after China’s national defence ministry spokesman Senior ­Colonel Tan Kefei accused the ADF of “spiteful and provocative actions” that would “undoubtedly result in misunderstanding and threaten the safety of aircraft, vessel and personnel of both sides”.

Chinese defence spokesman Senior Colonel Tan Kefei’s version of events have been rejected by the ADF.

The federal government has demanded an explanation from Beijing after a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) warship directed a powerful laser at an Australian P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft, in a “dangerous, unprofessional and reckless” act last Thursday.

In response China’s ministry implied Australia had acted ­inappropriately by travelling “very close” to the PLA-N vessels “with the nearest distance of only 4km,” and also by casting a sonar buoy into the water nearby. Such a device, also known as a sonobuoy, can be used to ­gather acoustic information and help detect submarines.

Mr Kefei called on Australia to “stop such provocative and risky actions” and “avoid negative effects on the relationship of the two countries and two militaries”.

But the ADF has rejected this account, revealing the Australian aircraft was targeted by the laser when it was “approximately 7.7km from the PLA-N vessel and was flying at an altitude of 457m”.

“The closest the P-8 flew to the PLA-N vessel was approximately 4km,” the ADF said.

“This is a standard flight profile for RAAF maritime patrol aircraft for a visual investigation of a surface vessel.”

The ADF also revealed “no sonobuoys were used” prior to the laser incident.