A Chinese J-16 jet dropped flares within 30 metres of an Australian P-8A Poseidon on Tuesday when it was flying over the South China Sea during daylight.
No injuries were sustained and the plane wasn't damaged, but Australian officials have raised concerns with Beijing, labelling the conduct "unsafe and unprofessional".
The Chinese military was clearly incentivising their pilots and captains to be aggressive, Australian National University expert associate Jennifer Parker said.
"It is a matter of time before unfortunately, we have some sort of incident ... where there is a significant injury or potential loss of life," she told AAP.
An arbitration court in 2016 ruled Beijing had no legal basis to claim historic rights to the South China Sea.
Beijing has accused Australia of provoking it during patrols through the South China Sea and of "invading" and "breaking into" the homes of others.
Canberra was spreading "false narratives," a Chinese official said.
Australia and other nations routinely conduct freedom of navigation patrols through the South China Sea in accordance with international law..
The incident was concerning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
"We have made representations through our normal diplomatic channels," he told reporters in the Illawarra on Friday.
"We regard this action as unsafe. We've made that clear, we've made it public as well as in private."
Personnel and military equipment could have suffered serious damage if they were hit, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.
An Australian navy Seahawk helicopter had to take evasive action in May 2024 when a Chinese jet also dropped flares in front of it.
Australia shouldn't tolerate such behaviour, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said.
He criticised the government for not revealing the incident until after parliament rose on Thursday, perhaps for the last time before the election.
"It's obviously very concerning and it's incredibly unsafe," he told Nine's Today Show.
"I hope that the prime minister can provide more detail because I think the Australian public deserve it."
Mr Marles defended the decision to delay news of the event until Thursday, saying it was important Australia "got its facts straight" before making an accusation.
He said disclosing it two days after the incident was relatively quick.
China was "clearly trying to use this incident to intimidate us into accepting their claim to the entirety of the South China Sea as their territory", Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Malcolm Davis said.
Australia is also monitoring three Chinese navy ships to the country's northeast.
Ms Parker said the ships, operating in the Coral Sea, were meant to send a message to Australia about Beijing's capability and their ability to demonstrate presence.
The Jiangkai class guided missile frigate detached from the other ships and went through the Torres Strait before meeting back up with another ship within Australia's exclusive economic zone, Mr Marles said.
with Reuters
18°C