On Tuesday (Nov 14), Australian naval personnel reportedly faced minor injuries following what was termed as “unsafe and unprofessional” behavior by a Chinese warship in international waters near Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles stated on Saturday (Nov 18) that his government has conveyed “serious concerns” to China regarding the incident involving the HMAS Toowoomba and the People’s Liberation Army-Navy’s (PLAN) destroyer.
According to Marles, the Australian vessel was en route to a scheduled port visit to Japan when fishing nets became entangled in its propellers. Divers on the ship initiated an underwater operation to clear the nets, and a message about the ongoing operation was communicated through maritime channels.
At this point, the PLAN vessel reportedly approached dangerously close to the Australian ship. In response, Australian divers reiterated their message and requested the Chinese destroyer to maintain a safe distance.
After the second warning, Marles reported that the PLA destroyer DDG-139 was detected operating its hull-mounted sonar in a manner posing a risk to the safety of Australian divers, who were compelled to exit the water. Despite acknowledging the message from Australian divers, the Chinese side continued its actions.
The divers, upon surfacing, were assessed to have sustained minor injuries, likely due to exposure to sonar pulses. Marles condemned the incident as “unsafe and unprofessional conduct,” emphasizing the safety and well-being of Australian Defence Force personnel as the top priority.
This assertive action by China follows Australian leader Anthony Albanese’s much-anticipated visit to Beijing, where Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to stabilize bilateral relations. Despite hopes for reconciliation and a rollback of Chinese sanctions on Australian wine and trade restrictions, Beijing has made it clear that reconciliation will come at a price, posing potential challenges for the Australia-China relationship.
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