China rejects Australia’s claim of ‘unsafe’ army aircraft incident

China has rejected Australia’s claims its military forced an ADF aircraft to perform evasive action while in the Yellow Sea this week.

The Defence Department on Friday accused the People’s Liberation Army-Navy of forcing an Australian Sea Hawk helicopter to perform “evasive action to maintain safe flight”.

The Seahawk helicopter had launched off HMAS Toowoomba while in the Yellow Sea during routine activities as part of Operation Argos when it was flanked by a Chinese helicopter.

Defence, revealing the incident on Friday, accused China of an “unsafe and unprofessional manoeuvre” that posed a risk to personnel and aircraft.

China’s Defence Ministry has in a statement described the actions of its aircraft as “legitimate, reasonable and professional’.

Australia accused China’s chopper of matching the ADF chopper’s altitude before closing in to an unsafe distance.

“The PLA-N helicopter moved slightly ahead, increased speed and then rolled towards the ADF helicopter, which required evasive action to maintain safe flight,” the Defence Department said.

China said HMAS Toowoomba has repeatedly deployed helicopters to conduct “close-in reconnaissance”, endangering its national security.

Defence Minister Richard Marles on Friday said he had raised the issue with the Chinese Embassy in Canberra and had also made “representations via our embassy in Beijing”.

In May 2024 a Chinese fighter jet also dropped flares dangerously close to an Australian helicopter operating on a United Nations mission in international waters in the Yellow Sea.

Two years ago, Australian Navy divers sustained minor injuries after being subjected to sonar pulses from a nearby Chinese warship while operating in the South China Sea to support a United Nations mission.