Feb 15, 2025, 12:44 PM

China accuses Australia of deliberate provocation

China accuses Australia of deliberate provocation

TEHRAN, Feb. 15 (MNA) – China accused Australia on Friday of deliberately provoking it with a maritime patrol in the disputed South China Sea this week.

The incident, in which Australia's defence minister said a Chinese PLA J-16 jet released flares within 30 m (100 feet) of an RAAF aircraft, comes amid ties strained by navy and air force interactions that Australia has called dangerous. 

Friday's comments came a day after Australia flagged "unsafe and unprofessional" actions by the jet towards the patrol which it said was on routine surveillance in international waters on Tuesday, an account Beijing disputes.

"Australia deliberately infringed upon China's rights in the South China Sea and provoked China, yet it was the villain who complained first, spreading false narratives," said Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Chinese defence ministry.

Zhang accused the Australian military aircraft of ignoring the main routes in the busy waterway, saying it "broke into the homes" of others, and adding that China's response was reasonable and a legitimate defence of sovereignty.

MNA/

News ID 228362

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