Australia has accused a Chinese military aircraft of releasing flares “in close proximity” to its patrol jet over the South China Sea.
The Australian government has raised its concern with Beijing over the “unsafe and unprofessional” manoeuvre, the defence department said in a statement on Monday.
There was no damage to Australia’s P-8A aircraft and its personnel were unharmed after Sunday’s encounter.
…
Australia Defence Force said it expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a safe and professional manner.
This is the latest in a string of encounters between the two countries’ militaries in the region, where China’s vast claims over islands and outcrops overlap with those of its neighbours.
…
Taiwan’s issue with the mainland’s encroachment of their airspace notwithstanding, my “um akchually” note here is that Taiwan claims roughly the same islands in the South China sea, as a hangover of their “we are the real china and there is only one China” stance, and that the claim was made before the civil war:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_disputes_in_the_South_China_Sea
If I were to guess, they probably don’t bother updating their claim since it may needlessly antagonise the mainland, someone more knowledgeable may correct me on that.