Hot South China Sea, Chinese fighter jets intercept Australia

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Australia is getting hotter China. In a press conference to reporters on Wednesday (8/6/2022), the Indonesian neighbor insisted that his patrol plane had been intercepted by China in international airspace.

Even China is called letting go chaff (husk) to the Australian military. This is an anti-radar or guided missile defense device, in the form of thin strips of aluminum foil, glass-metal alloy fiber or glossy plastic that serves to deceive the enemy.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it “very dangerous”. “This incident occurred in international airspace. Full stop,” he said at a press conference today.

This incident actually took place last May 26. At that time, Australia’s P-8A Poseidon flew in the South China Sea (SCS) sky.

But the encounter took place with a Chinese fighter jet, the J-16 Flanker. Even the J-16 Flanker is said to have carried out a number of dangerous and deadly maneuvers in the intercept (intercept) in the air.

Meanwhile, Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesperson Tan Kefei said the Australian jet was trying to approach the Xisha Islands airspace. This is another name for the Paracel Islands which Beijing disputes with a number of Asian countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines.

Tan said the Chinese side issued a warning to evict. “Australia threatens China’s sovereignty and security, and the government is spreading false information,” he added.

Relations between Australia and China have deteriorated in the last two years. This comes after Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and banned telecommunications giant Huawei from building Australia’s 5G network.

China is actually Australia’s biggest trading partner. The Kangaroo Country’s appeal was then responded to by imposing tariffs and disrupting a number of export goods such as wine, barley and coal.

Speculation of a thawing of cold relations between the two emerged after the Labor Party figure, Albanese, won the May 21 PM election, accompanied by congratulatory messages from China’s PM, Li Keqiang. But that seems to be short-lived.

Meanwhile, the South China Sea itself is an area that is claimed by China 90% through the concept of the “9 dotted line”. This puts China at odds with many countries, including Indonesia in North Natuna.

[Gambas:Video CNBC]