Australia flags China's 'unsafe' flare drop in aerial encounter

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia has raised concerns with Beijing after a Chinese fighter jet dropped flares near one of its maritime patrol planes, the defence department said on Monday, labelling the incident "unsafe and unprofessional".

The Chinese jet released flares in close proximity to an Australian maritime patrol plane carrying out surveillance in the South China Sea, posing a risk to the latter craft and its crew, Australia's defence department said in a statement.

"This was an unsafe and unprofessional manoeuvre," it added. "Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a safe and professional manner."

No injuries were reported in the encounter between the People’s Liberation Army jet and the aircraft of the Australian Air Force, it said, while the P-8A Poseidon patrol plane was not damaged.

The Chinese jet fired flares on two occasions, Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a television interview with Sky News Australia.

"On two occasions, it released flares very close to the P-8," he said. "And it's really that, the proximity at which the flares were released, which has given us cause to deem this unsafe and unprofessional."

Marles said the government had raised its concerns with the Chinese embassy in Canberra and through the Australian embassy in Beijing.

The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The incident is the latest of a series of military encounters involving China that Australia has called out publicly in similar terms.

In February, it also criticised as "unsafe and unprofessional" the actions of a Chinese fighter jet that dropped flares within 30 m (100 ft) of a maritime patrol plane.

(Reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)