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Australian Navy’s destroyer, helicopter impede Chinese drills in Yellow Sea — top brass

The Australian side "calls black white and lays the blame on someone else" in its comment on the incident, Zhang Xiaogang noted

BEIJING, May 7. /TASS/. A helicopter and a destroyer of the Australian Navy surveilled Chinese drills in the Yellow Sea and impeded the naval maneuvers, China’s Defense Ministry Spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said on Tuesday.

The spokesman thus commented on an incident when a Chinese fighter jet intercepted an Australian helicopter in the Yellow Sea.

"On May 3-4, during the drills of a group of Chinese naval ships in the Yellow Sea, the Australian missile destroyer Hobart sent deck-based helicopters three times for carrying out close reconnaissance and creating obstacles for normal Chinese military training activities," the Chinese Defense Ministry quoted the spokesman as saying on its website.

The Australian side "calls black white and lays the blame on someone else" in its comment on the incident, he added.

The Chinese military’s actions were legitimate, reasonable, professional, safe and fully complied with international law and international practice, the spokesman stressed.

"We demand that the Australian side truly respect China’s concern over sovereignty and security and stop spreading false information," the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman said, calling on Canberra to halt all dangerous and provocative actions against China.

Australia’s Defense Ministry reported earlier that on May 4, 2024, an Australian MH-60R naval helicopter that took off from the Hobart destroyer in the international waters of the Yellow Sea "was intercepted" by a Chinese fighter jet.

As Australia’s Defense Ministry claimed, the Chinese fighter jet fired flares in the flight path of the Australian naval helicopter in "an unsafe maneuver which posed a risk to the aircraft and personnel."

No one was hurt in the incident and the Australian naval helicopter sustained no damage. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the Chinese military’s actions unprofessional and unacceptable.

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