Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Australia and China are heating up again. A Chinese warship is suspected of using a laser to interfere with an Australian air force fighter jet.
quote CNN International, the Australian military even made a special statement about this. “Potentially endangering lives … unprofessional and unsafe,” said the neighboring Indonesian soldier, condemning the action of the Bamboo Curtain, last weekend.
The incident occurred February 15th. At that time, an Australian P-8A aircraft was flying over the Arafuru Sea.
The war reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft were over the seas of northern Australia and the island of Papua New Guinea. Pilots subjected to laser attacks reported flashes of disorientation, pain, seizures, spots in vision, and temporary blindness.
The Chinese vessels, Russia claims, are the Hefei, a guided-missile destroyer and the Jinggang Shan, an amphibious dock ship. This is the second time since Australia announced the same in 2019.
Previously, Australia and China were tense over a number of things. Since 2020, the two have clashed over the origin of Covid-19, which has prompted China to boycott Australian products.
Australia itself has joined a new partnership in the Indo Pacific called AUKUS, which involves the United States (US), Britain and Australia. Since the end of 2021, nuclear submarine cooperation between the three countries has officially started.
China itself has not confirmed this.
(tfa)
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