Australia says China threatened plane over South China Sea

Australia says a Chinese fighter jet carried out dangerous maneuvers threatening the safety of one of its maritime surveillance planes over the South China Sea

Australia on Sunday said a Chinese fighter jet carried out dangerous manoeuvres threatening the safety of one of its maritime surveillance planes over the South China Sea and forcing it to return to the base.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government expressed concern to China over the May 26 incident, which the Defense Ministry said took place in international airspace where a Chinese J-16 intercepted a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft on routine patrol.

Defense Minister Richard Marles said the Chinese J-16 flew very close to the Australian plane and released flares and chaff that were ingested by the engines of the Poseidon, a converted Boeing 737-800.

“The J-16 ... accelerated and cut across the nose of the P-8, settling in front of the P-8 at very close distance,” he told reporters in Melbourne. “At that moment, it then released a bundle of chaff, which contains small pieces of aluminium, some of which were ingested into the engine of the P-8 aircraft. Quite obviously, this is very dangerous.”

He said the crew of the P-8 responded professionally and returned the aircraft to its base.

There was no official response Sunday from Beijing.

Such incidents are not unprecedented. A collision between a U.S. EP-3 surveillance plane and a Chinese air force jet in April 2001 resulted in the death of the Chinese pilot and the 10-day detention of the U.S. air crew by China.