A senior Chinese official has warned that a minor military skirmish could turn into a larger one and sour relations, prompting China to request that Australia inform it of any navy movements in the disputed South and East China Seas.
Anthony Albanese, the prime minister of Australia, said last week that a Chinese warship used its sonar dangerously during an incident with an Australian navy vessel in Japanese waters, which resulted in injuries to a military diver.
Under growing strain over a disputed shoal, Beijing and Manila launched joint patrols in the South China Sea on Saturday with the Philippines using the same Australian ship, Toowoomba.
Liu Jianchao, the head of the Chinese Communist Party’s international department, said during a speech in Sydney on Tuesday that the sonar incident occurred in waters that are the subject of a dispute between China and Japan. He also questioned why the Australian navy was present.
Denouncing that China had injured Australian navy personnel, Liu demanded “any kind of pre-consultations or notification” in order to avoid miscommunications between the two armed forces.
Liu said the presence of Australia’s navy vessels appeared to be a statement about China’s policies in the South China Sea.
He urged the Australian government and military to “act with great prudence in this area.”
Australia has previously said it respects the right of all states to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law. Two-thirds of Australian trade passes through the South China Sea.
This month Albanese made the first visit by an Australian leader to China in seven years, after efforts by both sides to stabilize the relationship.
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