Australia urged to stop false claims on warship

China urged the Australian military to stop spreading false information and making dangerous, provocative acts following an encounter between a Chinese warship and an Australian aircraft, a military spokesman said on Feb 21.

Over the previous two days, Australia accused a Chinese naval ship of shining a “military grade” laser toward one of its warplanes, claiming such an act was “unprofessional, unsafe and reckless”.

Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of National Defense, said what the Australian defense ministry said was totally inconsistent with the facts.

“On Feb 17, an Australian P-8 antisubmarine patrol plane flew near a Chinese naval fleet and the closest distance was only 4 kilometers. During the encounter, our ships operated in a safe, standard and professional fashion and their operations conformed to international laws and common practices,” he said.