On Monday, Australia’s Prime Minister claimed that a Chinese naval vessel that fired a laser at an Australian military plane was so close to the shoreline that it could have been seen from the shore, and he demanded a comprehensive investigation by China. Scott Morrison told the media that China had not provided an explanation for the event last Thursday, which Australia described as “dangerous and reckless.”
China called Australian claims as events of “disinformation”
China called Australia’s account of events “disinformation” since it “did not square up with facts.” According to Australia, a Chinese navy vessel operating within Australia’s exclusive economic zone fired a laser at an Australian military plane flying over the northern approaches, lighting the plane and potentially endangering lives. The P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft detected a laser coming from a People’s Liberation Army – Navy (PLA-N) vessel, according to the Defence Department, which also released photos of two Chinese boats traveling near Australia’s north coast.
At the time of the event, a Chinese guided-missile destroyer and an amphibious transport dock were going east through the Arafura Sea between New Guinea and Australia, passing via the tight Torres Strait. Mr. Morrison told reporters in Tasmania on Monday that “its feasible people may even see the vessel from our continent.”
He said Australia has requested “a complete examination into this situation” through diplomatic and defense channels. “Could you imagine their reaction in Beijing if an Australian frigate pointed a laser at Chinese surveillance aircraft in the Taiwan Strait?” he asked, comparing the incident to a hypothetical situation in which an Australian frigate pointed a laser at Chinese surveillance aircraft in the Taiwan Strait.
The Australian objection was dismissed by China’s Foreign Ministry, which stated that the ship was following international law. “The Chinese vessel sailing on the high seas is totally genuine and legal,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters at a daily briefing in Beijing.