Australia accuses Chinese warship of injuring navy divers with sonar pulses in Japan waters

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the incident occurred when the HMAS Toowoomba was conducting a diving operation in Japan last week

He added despite the Australian frigate requesting the Chinese vessel that it keep clear, the destroyer approached ‘at a closer range’

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Australian navy frigate HMAS Toowoomba docked at Saigon port in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. File photo: AP

Published: 10:14am, 18 Nov 2023Updated: 10:39am, 18 Nov 2023

Australia’s government said on Saturday it had expressed serious concerns to China after an “unsafe and unprofessional” interaction between an Australian navy vessel and Chinese warship left Australian military divers injured.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the HMAS Toowoomba – a long-range frigate – was conducting a diving operation in Japan’s exclusive economic zone on November 14 to clear fishing nets from its propellers when the incident occurred.

“While diving operations were under way a PLA-N destroyer (DDG-139) operating in the vicinity closed towards HMAS Toowoomba,” Marles said in a statement, referring to a ship of the People’s Liberation Army Navy.

He said despite the Australian vessel notifying the Chinese warship of the diving operation and requesting that it keep clear, the destroyer approached “at a closer range”.

“Soon after, it was detected operating its hull-mounted sonar in a manner that posed a risk to the safety of the Australian divers who were forced to exit the water.”

The conduct was “unsafe and unprofessional”, Marles said.