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Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prior to the Leaders Retreat at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. on November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File photo
SYDNEY, Nov 20 (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed concern over a dangerous incident involving a Chinese warship and an Australian navy vessel, which resulted in injuries to a military diver, potentially damaging relations between the two countries.
The incident occurred on November 14 when the Australian vessel, HMAS Toowoomba, was conducting a diving operation in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone to clear fishing nets from its propellers. Albanese, who met President Xi Jinping at the APEC forum, emphasized the need for improved communication between militaries, stating, “This was dangerous, it was unsafe and unprofessional from the Chinese warship.”
Defence Minister Richard Marles revealed that a People’s Liberation Army Navy destroyer closed in on the Australian vessel despite being notified of the diving operation. Medical assessments confirmed minor injuries to the divers likely caused by the destroyer’s sonar.
While Albania did not disclose if he raised the matter with Xi, he made it clear that the incident has had a detrimental impact on the relationship between the two countries. China’s defence ministry responded by rejecting the allegations and urging Australia to respect the facts.
Albanese’s visit to China earlier this month marked the first by an Australian leader in seven years, and both countries agreed to restart an annual leaders’ dialogue. The Chinese Embassy in Australia reiterated China’s stance on the incident, urging the relevant parties to work together to sustain the improvement and development of China-Australia relations.
Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Additional reporting by Bernard Orr and Ethan Wang in Beijing; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Bernadette Baum and Alex Richardson. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Acquire Licensing Rights, opens new tab
