Australia demands answers from China for an alleged incident with a laser at sea

(CNN) — Australia requires China to investigate the alleged use of a laser to “illuminate” an Australian plane in waters from the north coast of the country, in an incident that threatens to worsen relations between the two countries.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday that he had asked the Chinese government to explain the “dangerous” and “reckless” act allegedly carried out by a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warship. its acronym in English) last week.

“It was dangerous, unprofessional and reckless for a professional navy, and we want some answers as to why they did it,” Morrison said. “At its worst, it was bullying and harassment.”

“It is they who have to explain themselves, not only to Australia, but to all the countries in our region,” he added. “It could happen to anyone else who is just doing normal policing of their own Exclusive Economic Zone.”

Morrison said Monday that Chinese authorities had not yet responded to his request.

At a regular briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters the ship was abiding by international law.

“After checking with the relevant Chinese authorities, the information released by the Australian side is not true. The Chinese ship’s normal navigation on the high seas is in accordance with relevant international law and practice, and is completely legitimate and legal,” Wang said.

“We urge the Australian side to respect the legitimate rights of Chinese vessels in relevant waters in accordance with international law and stop maliciously spreading false information about China.”

Previously, the state tabloid Global Times he accused Canberra of trying to damage Beijing’s reputation in the South Pacific.

“The Australian military has knowingly exaggerated this, with the aim of throwing mud at China,” the article said, citing an anonymous analyst.

The newspaper accused Canberra of trying to divert attention from the Chinese military’s relief efforts in the South Pacific, citing the recent delivery of aid to Tonga following a major volcanic eruption and tsunami, and the shipment of covid medical supplies to the Solomon Islands.

“Australia does not like that China provides concrete benefits to other countries close to Australia, so it is seeking every way to discredit China,” the article said, citing unnamed analysts.

What a Chinese warship did, a defensive act or a provocation?

The incident in question allegedly occurred last week when an Australian P-8A reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft was flying over the Arafura Sea, the body of water between Australia’s Northern Territory and the island of New Guinea, to the north. .

The Australian Defense Force said in a statement on Saturday that the PLAN ship used a laser to “illuminate” the Australian plane.

In the Global Times report, China did not explicitly deny that a laser was used on the Australian plane, but said it would be normal for a warship to use a laser rangefinder if a plane came close to a ship.

“Australia did not inform the public how close its planes flew to Chinese ships, so it was not possible to tell if Chinese ships were forced to take defensive countermeasures,” the Global Times said, attributing the statement to Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and television commentator.

In the past, pilots subjected to laser attacks have reported disorienting flashes, pain, twitching and smearing of vision, and even temporary blindness.

“During critical phases of flight, when the pilot does not have sufficient time to recover, the consequences of laser exposure could be tragic,” according to a US Federal Aviation Administration document.

Using a laser rangefinder on an aircraft could be considered provocation because it shows the warship is trying to determine a fire control solution for the aircraft without using the ship’s fire control radar, said Carl Schuster, a former Capt. the US Navy.

He added that it is possible that the inexperienced operators of the Chinese ship tried to point the laser at other parts of the plane than its cabin and failed.

But Peter Layton, a former Australian Air Force officer and analyst at the Griffith Asia Institute, dismissed the possibility that the incident was unintentional.

“The People’s Liberation Army Navy is a very disciplined navy and there will be several political officers from the Communist Party on board to advise the captain and make sure he acts according to Party guidelines. This means that this is not an accident, but of an intentional act, authorized at the highest level,” Layton said.

The ship that allegedly aimed the laser at the Australian plane was one of two PLAN warships sailing east through the Arafura Sea at the time, according to the Australian military.

The military released photos of two Chinese vessels along with the statement, which, according to their hull numbers, were the Hefei guided missile destroyer and the Jinggang Shan amphibious transport dock.

Australia did not say which of the two ships aimed the laser at the Australian plane.

The incident is not the first report of Chinese vessels targeting Australian planes with lasers.

In May 2019, Australian pilots said they were targeted on multiple occasions of commercial lasers during missions over the South China Sea.

And, in a June 2018 report, US military officials told CNN that there were at least 20 suspected Chinese laser incidents in the eastern Pacific from September 2017 to June 2018.

Military tensions between China and Australia have been on the riseand soared in November when Canberra said it was entering into a pact with the United States and the United Kingdom to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

On the day the submarine deal was announced, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijan said Australia should “seriously consider whether it views China as a partner or a threat.”

Teele Rebane and Lizzy Yee of CNN in Hong Kong and CNN’s Beijing bureau contributed to this report.