China has urged Australia to notify it of navy movements in the contested South and East China seas, with a senior Chinese official cautioning that a small incident between militaries could escalate and damage ties.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week said a Chinese warship acted in a dangerous manner by using its sonar during an incident with an Australian navy vessel in Japan’s waters that injured a military diver.
The same Australian vessel, the HMAS Toowoomba, on Saturday began joint patrols for the first time with the Philippines in the South China Sea, amid rising tensions between Beijing and Manila over a disputed shoal.
Photo: AP
Speaking in Sydney yesterday, Liu Jianchao (劉建超), head of the Chinese Communist Party’s international department, said the sonar incident took place in waters where there is a dispute between Japan and China, and questioned why the Australian navy was there.
Liu, who denied China had harmed Australian navy personnel, called for “any kind of pre-consultations or notification” to prevent misunderstandings from happening between the two militaries.
“Such small incidents could really escalate if it’s not properly managed,” he said.
He was speaking in response to questions at an event hosted by the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology, Sydney.
Liu said the presence of Australia’s navy vessels appeared to be a statement about Beijing’s policies in the South China Sea.
“The reason why the Australian naval ships were there was really to contain China — so that is the message that we have been getting,” he said.
He urged the Australian government and military to “act with great prudence in this area.”
Australia has previously said it respects the right of all states to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law. Two-thirds of Australian trade passes through the South China Sea.
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