PLA aircraft deal with Canadian, Australian provocative close-in recon in East and South China Seas

J-16 fighter jets attached to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Western Theater Command taxi on the runway during an aerial combat training exercise under complex electromagnetic conditions in early April, 2021.(Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn)

Warplanes of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently dealt with close-in reconnaissance and provocative activities by surveillance planes from Canada and Australia on China in the East China Sea and South China Sea respectively, Chinese sources and analysts said on Sunday.

By accusing the Chinese warplanes of threatening flight safety, the two members of the Five Eyes complained first while being the ones who are guilty in the first place, trying to throw mud at China without reflecting on their own behaviors, experts said.

Reports claiming that Chinese military aircraft "buzzed" Canadian military aircraft are not consistent with the truth, a Chinese source familiar with the matter told the Global Times on Sunday.

The reports the source referred to include one by CNN on Thursday, which said that the Canadian Armed Forces on Wednesday accused PLA Air Force aircraft of repeatedly buzzing Canadian surveillance planes, which allegedly "helped to enforce United Nations sanctions on North Korea."

In some instances, the Chinese warplanes came so close, the Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 patrol aircraft had to change course to avoid a collision, the Canadian Armed Forces claimed.

The Chinese source said that the truth is, it was the Canadian warplanes that traveled all the way to the East China Sea and conducted close-in reconnaissance and made provocations on China.

The Chinese aircraft dealt with the Canadian counterparts completely legitimately and within their rights, said the source.

A Chinese expert on international affairs who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday that, to understand the truth, Canada must answer these questions: North Korea is so far away from Canada, what is the true purpose of the Canadian flights in the name of the UN? The UN stresses territorial integrity and inviolability, what did the Canadian aircraft really do? Were the pilots professional? Did they make approaches on Chinese airspace and make dangerous, provocative moves? Does Canada see its provocation on China as legitimate but see China's legitimate defensive measures as provocation?

By answering these questions, it becomes obvious that Canada called black white and took cause for effect in an attempt to demonize China, hyping the "China threat" theory, the expert said.

In a separate event, Australia's Defense Ministry said in a press release on Sunday that a P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft during a routine maritime surveillance activity in the South China Sea on May 26, claiming the spy plane was flying in international airspace.

The intercept resulted in a dangerous maneuver which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew, read the Australian press release.

The Australian Defense Ministry said that the Chinese plane released flares while flying closely alongside the Australian plane, before cutting in front of the P-8 and releasing a bag of "chaff" into its flight path, which included aluminum fragments that were sucked into the engine of the Australian plane, Australia's ABC News reported.

The Australian aircraft likely also conducted close-in reconnaissance and made provocative moves on China, just like the Canadian aircraft, analysts said.

It is possible that the Australian P-8 was about to enter or even did trespass on Chinese airspace, or it is also possible that the aircraft disrupted PLA maritime exercises in a dangerous manner, analysts said.

If the Chinese aircraft did use flares and chaff, it is possible that the Australian P-8 used its jamming pod to lase the Chinese aircraft, triggering the latter's self-defense system which is programed to automatically release the flares and chaff, Zhang Xuefeng, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Some Western militaries often complain first while being the ones who are guilty in the first place, Zhang said.

They pour dirty water on China, but do not mention anything about their own activities or if their activities had threatened China's security, Zhang said.

This is not the first time Australia has made false accusations on the PLA's legitimate activities.

In February, Australia claimed a PLA Navy flotilla had pointed a laserat an Australian P-8 patrol aircraft in flight over Australia's northern approaches, but Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of National Defense, soon debunked the accusation, saying that the Chinese vessels maintained safe, standard and professional actions, which conform to the relevant international law and international practice, and that it was the Australian aircraft that flew very close to the Chinese vessels and dropped sonobuoys near them.

When Australia sent spy planes for provocative reconnaissance near China in the South China Sea, it accused Chinese aircraft of risky interception, but when Chinese vessels sailed in international waters, Australian aircraft made truly dangerous approaches, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Australia is obviously applying double standards here, Fu said.

By dealing with these repeated foreign provocations properly, the PLA displayed its preparedness, capability and determination in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, analysts said.