China accuses Australia of breaching its airspace

BEIJING, Oct. 23 (YPA) – China’s Ministry of Defense on Wednesday said that Australia’s statements about an incident involving Chinese military aircraft over the South China Sea are an attempt to cover up an Australian “intrusion” into Chinese airspace.

“We urge the Australian side to immediately cease its provocations and inflammatory rhetoric, strictly restrain frontline naval and air forces, and avoid undermining China-Australia bilateral and military relations,” the Chinese military said.

The ministry has complained to Canberra about the matter.

The ministry was referring to an incident around the Paracel Islands in which Australia claimed a Chinese fighter jet dropped flares near one of its maritime patrol planes. Australia called the incident “unsafe and unprofessional”.

Australia, in a statement released Monday, accused a Chinese military jet of deploying flares in dangerously close proximity to one of its P-8A maritime patrol aircraft over the South China Sea.

It confirmed that the aircraft was undamaged and no personnel were harmed in the  incident, which took place on Sunday.

@E.Y.M