Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is calling on the Chinese government to explain why a laser was used to “illuminate” an Australian aircraft.
Morrison called for an investigation into what he claimed was a “dangerous” and “reckless” incident in which a warship from the People’s Liberation Army Navy shined a light on an Australian aircraft flying overhead, according to CNN.
“It was unprofessional,” Morrison said on Monday. “It was reckless for a professional navy, and we want some answers as to why they did this.”
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“At worst, it was intimidating and bullying,” said Morrison.
Morrison is referring to an incident that occurred on Feb. 17, when a P-8A aircraft from the Australian Defense Force was illuminated by a Chinese vessel as the plane was flying over the Arafura Sea, the body of water situated between the Northern Territory of Australia and the island of New Guinea, according to the outlet.
“They’re the ones who need to explain, not just to Australia, but to think of all the countries in our region,” Morrison said. “It could occur to anyone else who is just simply doing the normal surveillance of their own Exclusive Economic Zone.”
Chinese state-run newspaper the Global Times slammed the Australian government, with Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and commentator, saying that Australia “failed to tell the public how close its aircraft flew near the Chinese vessels, so people could not tell if the Chinese vessels were forced to take defensive countermeasures.”
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As of Monday, Chinese officials have not responded to Morrison’s call for answers, he claims, according to CNN.
“After checking with relevant Chinese authorities, the information released by the Australian side is not true,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, according to CNN. “The normal navigation of the Chinese ship on the high seas conforms to relevant international law and practice and is completely legitimate and lawful.”
In November, the Pentagon announced that it would be strengthening bases in Australia and Guam amid heightened security threats from China.
