China and Australia on Monday exchanged charges of reckless behavior following an incident off Japan in which Canberra said a Chinese warship emitted sonar pulses that injured one of its naval divers.
Beijing told Australia that its charges that a Chinese destroyer had acted aggressively toward the Australian frigate were unfounded.
“We urge the Australian side to respect the facts, stop making reckless and irresponsible accusations against China,” defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said, adding China “did not engage in any activities that may have affected the Australian divers”.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a Sky News interview that the Chinese warship used “dangerous… and unprofessional” conduct at sea around the HMAS Toowoomba, a long-range frigate that had been supporting United Nations sanctions enforcement efforts within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said over the weekend that divers were clearing fishing nets from the ship’s propeller when the vessel was approached by a Chinese destroyer using a hull-mounted sonar.
“We need to avoid a reckless event such as this,” Albanese told…
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