Divers from the Royal Australian Navy have suffered minor injuries after an “unsafe and unprofessional” engagement with a Chinese warship.
The interaction between HMAS Toowoomba and a navy destroyer from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA-N) occurred during a routine operation on Tuesday.
The Australian naval divers were forced to leave the water and suffered minor injuries when the PLA-N destroyer used its sonar system after repeated warnings from the HMAS Toowoomba to stay away.
Defence Minister and acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said the Government had expressed “serious concerns” to the Chinese government following the “unsafe and unprofessional interaction”.
HMAS Toowoomba was in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone on Tuesday when fishing nets became entangled around its propellers.
The ship came to a halt and communicated its intentions to send divers into the water using internationally recognised signals “at all times”.
Despite the clear communications, a PLA-N destroyer in the vicinity began to approach the HMAS Toowoomba.
The Australian navy ship again advised the Chinese destroyer that it had divers in the water and requested it stay away but the calls were ignored, placing the divers in danger.
“Soon after, it (Chinese destroyer) was detected operating its hull-mounted sonar in a manner that posed a risk to the safety of the Australian divers who were forced to exit the water,” a Defence Ministry statement said.
“This is unsafe and unprofessional conduct.
“Medical assessments conducted after the divers exited the water identified they had sustained minor injuries likely due to being subjected to the sonar pulses from the Chinese destroyer.”
Mr Marles said the “safety and wellbeing” of the Australian Defence Force Members was the “utmost priority.”
“Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a professional and safe manner,” he said.
“Defence has for decades undertaken maritime surveillance activities in the region and does so in accordance with international law, exercising the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace.”
The incident follows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese making the first official trip to Beijing by an Australian leader in seven years.
Mr Albanese also held short discussions with President Xi Jinping at the APEC Summit in San Francisco this week.
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