The chief of navy has used a rare face-to-face meeting with his counterpart in China to warn against continuing unsafe behaviour by the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) in contested international waters near Australia, the ABC reports.
During an international naval conference held last week in the Chinese port city of Qingdao, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond also directly raised concerns with PLA-N Chief Admiral Hu Zhongming over last year’s sonar attack on HMAS Toowoomba.
In November, Australian navy divers sustained minor injuries after being subjected to sonar pulses from a nearby Chinese warship while operating in the South China Sea to support a United Nations mission.
This year’s Western Pacific Naval Symposium was hosted by China under the theme “Seas of Shared Future” and took place as maritime tensions rise in the region, particularly around the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Over the past few years, Australian military leaders have been cut off from direct dialogue with their Chinese counterparts after diplomatic relations soured between both nations during the Morrison government.
Following the four-day naval talks, Vice Admiral Hammond confirmed to the ABC he had held separate talks with Admiral Hu where he urged the senior Chinese military figure to “prioritise safety”.
The full article is here.
