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Australia accuses China of 'act of intimidation'

Middle East

20-02-2022 | 01:59

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Australia accuses China of 'act of intimidation'

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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison accused Beijing of an 'act of intimidation' on Sunday after a Chinese navy vessel directed a laser at an Australian military surveillance aircraft last week.

A P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was illuminated on Thursday while flying over Australia's northern approaches by a laser from a People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) vessel, potentially endangering lives, the defense department said.

Morrison said his government will demand answers from Beijing.

The Chinese vessel was sailing east with another PLA-N ship through the Arafura Sea at the time of the incident, the department said. The sea lies between the north coast of Australia and the south coast of New Guinea. The defense department said that both ships have since transited through the Torres Strait and were in the Coral Sea.

Relations between Australia and China, its top trade partner, soured after Canberra banned Huawei from its 5G broadband network in 2018, toughened laws against foreign political interference, and urged an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

REUTERS

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