🗞️Australian Defence Minister Condemns Chinese Military's Behavior

Today’s email is brought to you by Empower your podcasting vision with a suite of creative solutions at your fingertips.

During a United Nations mission in international waters, the Australian government claims that a Chinese fighter jet dropped flares close to an Australian helicopter.

The Australian Government has expressed its concerns to the Chinese Government following an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with a People’s Liberation Army – Air Force (PLA-AF) fighter aircraft.

The event was deemed "unacceptable" by Defence Minister Richard Marles.

On 4 May 2024, HMAS Hobart was in international waters in the Yellow Sea undertaking routine activities as part of Operation Argos, Australia’s contribution to the international effort to enforce United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea.

During these activities, a Royal Australian Navy MH-60R helicopter launched from HMAS Hobart was intercepted by a PLA-AF fighter aircraft. 

“ The PLA-AF aircraft released flares across the flight path of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) helicopter. This was an unsafe manoeuvre which posed a risk to the aircraft and personnel,” the Defence Department said in a statement on Monday night

.

“While there were no injuries sustained by ADF personnel or damage caused to the MH-60R helicopter, the safety and wellbeing of our ADF personnel continues to be our utmost priority,” The Statement added.

Nothing is free like a free press. Give now to help sustain independent journalism in your community.

It's evident from recent events that there has never been a better moment to support local news. Donate now to help sustain independent reporting.

The Defence departmnt said Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a professional and safe manner.

“Defence has, for decades, undertaken maritime surveillance activities in the region and does so in accordance with international law, exercising the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace,” Statement ended.

According to Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, the Chinese government has been notified of Australia's concerns in the wake of the risky interception.

"The PLA Air Force plane dropped flares about 300 metres in front of the Seahawk helicopter and about 60 metres above it, requiring the helicopter to take evasive action in order to not be hit by those flares," Mr Marles said in a statement.The incident happened on Saturday at around 7.30 p.m., as Nine News first reported on Monday night. There were no reported injuries. The Albanese government denounced the event using the same strong language it had used to denounce a Chinese navy ship for allegedly using sonar pulses to target Australian divers in the latter part of last year.

Got a News Tip?

Contact our editor via Proton Mail encrypted, X Direct Message, LinkedIn, or email. You can securely message him on Signal by using his username, Miko Santos.

More on The Evening Post AU

• Get Evening Post Wrap - for nighly bite size news around Australia and the world.

• Podwires Daily - for providing news about audio trends and podcasts.

• Podwires Asia - for reporting on podcasting and audio trends in South East Asia

• There’s a Glitch - updated tech news and scam and fraud trends

• The Freeman Chronicle Podcast - features expert interviews on current political and social issues in Australia and worldwide.

• That Podcast Exchange - This podcast is an insightful conversation with people at the top of their game and deconstructs them to find the tools, tactics, and tricks to help you achieve your dream goal as Podcast Manager.

The Evening Post AU readers receive journalism free of financial and political influence.

We set our own news agenda, which is always based on facts rather than billionaire ownership or political pressure. Despite the financial challenges that our industry faces, we have decided to keep our reporting open to the public because we believe that everyone has the right to know the truth about the events that shape their world.Thanks to the support of our readers, we can continue to provide free reporting. If you can, please choose to support The Evening Post Australia.