China steps up regional aggression

China’s menacing response to Australia’s objections to a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft intercepting an RAAF surveillance plane in May over the South China Sea reveals much about the Chinese Communist Party’s intensifying, calculated aggression across the region. It also makes a mockery of the recent pitch from China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, for the relationship between China and Australia to be reset on to the “right track’’.

As Defence Minister Richard Marles has made clear, Australia’s P-8A Poseidon aircraft was in international airspace and “operating completely within our rights in international law” when China’s irresponsible, dangerous manoeuvre took place on May 26. The Chinese fighter plane drew dangerously close to the Australian jet, firing flares and releasing small pieces of aluminium “chaff’’ that were ingested into the engine of the Australian aircraft.

Two days after Mr Marles, rightly, vowed to continue surveillance flights in the region, which is a major trade route for Australia, Beijing warned of “serious consequences” for Australian aircraft that fail to respect its sovereignty. China’s “sovereignty’’ over the South China Sea, including the area where the interception took place, is highly doubtful.

“The Australian military aircraft seriously threatened China’s sovereignty and security, and the response measures taken by the Chinese military were professional, safe, reasonable and legal,’’ Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei claimed. “The People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command organised air and sea forces to identify and verify the Australian military aircraft and warned it to drive away.’’

Mr Tan said the Australian P-8A Poseidon jet “continuously approached China’s Xisha airspace despite repeated warnings”. Xisha is the Chinese name for the Paracel Islands, which China claims as its territory. The islands are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. Despite the question mark over sovereignty, the largest island in the Paracel archipelago, Woody Island, is home to a Chinese air base.