China’s unsafe jet flare stirs safety, aggression fears
The metal casing of a flare launched by a Chinese jet near a surveillance plane in Australia could have caused engine failure or even an accident if it had hit the plane.
An incident in international airspace between nations over the South China Sea was made public by Defense Minister Richard Marles on Monday amid fears that Beijing was becoming more aggressive in the disputed region.
While “unsafe and unprofessional” behavior occurring in the region has yet to result in a major incident between Australia and China, the potential consequences of a flare hitting an aircraft are serious.
“Blades can be impacted, disrupt air flow, start fires,” security analyst and academic Jennifer Parker told AAP.
“A catastrophic engine failure or fire could cause the aircraft to crash in the worst-case circumstances.”
While the exact location of the planes at the time of the incident was not disclosed, Mr Marles reiterated on Tuesday that the planes were in international airspace at the time.
“Our team was adhering to international law at all times,” he told reporters in Adelaide.
A spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army denied the Australian government’s claim, saying the RAAF P-8A Poseidon had “intruded” into Chinese airspace.
“The troops on the ground are always on high alert to resolutely defend national sovereignty,” Senior Colonel Li Jianjian said in a statement. he said.
Ms Parker said China’s claim to the Paracel Islands, where the incident is believed to have occurred, was illegitimate and Australia had had military activity in the region for decades.
“Their claims that we block their airspace are not in line with international law,” he said.
“I do not agree with China’s claims at all, in fact most countries do not agree with China’s claims regarding the South China Sea.”
Mr Marles said earlier that the RAAF aircraft was carrying out a routine patrol on Sunday and flew alongside the People’s Liberation Army jet.
He said the Chinese plane twice fired flares very close to the Australian plane.
“We have made our position very clear to China, both through our embassy in Beijing and through the Chinese embassy in Canberra,” Mr Marles said on Tuesday.
Despite Australia-China relations improving economically and diplomatically under the Albanian government, Ms Parker said such incidents showed how aggressive China was still prepared to be.
He added that it was vital for Australia to maintain a military presence in the South China Sea due to its importance as a trade route for the Australian economy.
“Our national security interests are in direct conflict with China’s national security interests,” Ms. Parker said.
“The security relationship between the two countries has not stabilized and is not close to stabilizing.”
Australia should continue to improve communication between China and the military to prevent similar incidents in the future, according to Lowell Bautista, a maritime law expert at Western Sydney University.
Dr. Bautista said the government should reaffirm that military operations in Australia are protected under international law and are aimed at preserving regional peace rather than undermining it.
“Australia’s message must be clear: We want peace, not provocation.”
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