South China Sea: Australia says Chinese jet dangerously intercepted surveillance aircraft

The intercept ‘resulted in a dangerous manoeuvre which posed a safety threat’, Australia’s defence department said on Sunday

Canberra said it had raised its concerns with Beijing about the May 26 incident, which involved a Chinese J-16 fighter jet and a RAAF P-8 surveillance plane

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A P-8 maritime patrol aircraft of the type that Australia said was intercepted by a Chinese jet over the South China Sea last month. Photo: British Ministry of Defence Handout via EPA-EFE

Published: 9:42am, 5 Jun 2022Updated: 3:19pm, 5 Jun 2022

A Chinese fighter aircraft dangerously intercepted an Australian military surveillance plane in the South China Sea region in May, Australia’s defence department said on Sunday.

The Royal Australian Air Force P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter during “routine maritime surveillance activity” in international airspace in the region on May 26, the defence department said in a statement.

“The intercept resulted in a dangerous manoeuvre which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew,” it said.

A Chinese J-16 fighter jet was involved in the incident, Australia said. Photo: Taiwan Ministry of Defence via AP

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Perth that his government had expressed concerns to China “through appropriate channels”.

China’s foreign ministry in Beijing and its embassy in Australia did not respond to requests for comment outside business hours.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the Chinese jet flew very close in front of the RAAF aircraft and released a “bundle of chaff” containing small pieces of aluminium that were ingested into the Australian aircraft’s engine.