An incident involving injured divers threatens to reignite diplomatic tensions between Australia and China. Beijing warned Canberra on Monday (November 20) against making “reckless and irresponsible accusations against China” over Australia’s claims that sonar pulses emitted by a Chinese warship had “probably » injured divers from his navy.
“We urge the Australian side to respect the facts and stop making rash and irresponsible accusations against China,” defense ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said, adding that Beijing “will not engaged in any activity that may have affected Australian divers”.
Last week, an Australian navy frigate, HMAS Toowoomba, was deployed to Japan’s exclusive economic zone to assist in the enforcement of United Nations sanctions against North Korea. Members of the Australian navy dove to remove fishing nets from the ship’s propeller when the vessel was approached by a Chinese destroyer, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday.
“Shortly thereafter, [the Chinese vessel] was detected using its hull sonar in a manner that posed a safety risk to Australian divers, who were forced out of the water,” he said. – he also explained in a press release, specifying that the divers had suffered minor injuries which, according to doctors, were “probably” linked to the sonar pulses.
China defends its practices at sea
“This is dangerous and unprofessional conduct,” Mr. Marles lamented in a statement. “Australia expects all countries, including China, to run their armed forces in a professional and safe manner. »
His counterpart, Mr Wu, responded that the Australian version of events was “totally inconsistent with the facts”. Beijing “firmly opposes this and has made solemn representations to the Australian side,” he said.
“The Chinese military’s destroyer Ningbo has taken tracking, surveillance, identification and verification measures in accordance with laws and regulations,” Wu said.
A little earlier this Monday, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already defended the conduct of the Chinese army by ensuring that it was in line with international law. “We hope relevant parties will stop bringing trouble to China’s doorstep and work with China to maintain the momentum of improvement and development of China-Australia relations,” said Mao Ning, spokesperson. word of the ministry, during a press conference.
After years of disputes and retaliation, China and Australia have recently moved to repair their once-close trade relationship. After a visit to Beijing in early November, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed “unquestionably very positive” progress in bilateral relations. However, security tensions remain as Australia has moved closer to the United States to curb China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.