Source: Global Times - Global Network

[Global Times-Global Network Reporter Guo Yuandan] According to the Weixin Official Accounts of the "Southern Air Force", Colonel Li Jianjian, spokesperson of the Southern Theater Air Force, said that on October 19, an Australia P-8A military aircraft illegally invaded China's Xisha airspace without the approval of the Chinese government. The Southern Theater of the Chinese People's Liberation Army organized sea and air forces to track and monitor, effectively respond, and warn and expel them in accordance with laws and regulations. Australia's actions seriously violate China's sovereignty and can easily lead to sea and air accidents. We urge Australia to immediately stop infringement and provocation. Theater troops remain on high alert at all times and resolutely defend national sovereignty and security and regional peace and stability.

Military experts interviewed by the Global Times said on the 20th that the words "forceful counter-measure" used by the spokesman of the Southern Theater Air Force in the conversation were a very rare expression. He hoped that the Australian side would understand the People's Liberation Army's external statement and understand the People's Liberation Army's warning to drive away, and don't deliberately "touch porcelain" again and again.

According to foreign media reports, the Australian Ministry of Defense issued a statement on the official website on October 20, claiming that on October 19, the Australian Royal Air Force P-8A ¡°Hai God¡± anti-submarine patrol aircraft, which carried out a marine surveillance patrol mission in the South China Sea, had an ¡°unsafe and unprofessional¡± interaction with a Su-35 combat aircraft of the Australian Liberation Army. The statement said that the Chinese fighter aircraft dropped clear bombs near the P-8A patrol aircraft, posing a risk to the Australian military aircraft and its crew. However, no one was injured in this contact, and the Australian P-8A patrol aircraft was also unaffected.

Public reports show that on February 11 this year, the Australian side claimed that a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft of the Royal Australia Air Force conducted so-called routine maritime surveillance patrols in the South China Sea and had "unsafe" and "unprofessional" interactions with a J-16 fighter jet of the People's Liberation Army. Subsequently, China stated that Australia military aircraft deliberately violated China's airspace over the Paracel Islands without China's permission, violated China's sovereignty and endangered China's national security. China has taken expulsion measures that are legitimate and legal, with professional restraint. As early as May 2022, Australia also sent a P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft into the airspace near China's Xisha Islands for close reconnaissance. Despite repeated warnings from China, it continued to approach China's Xisha airspace and was driven away by warnings from sea and air forces in the southern theater.

Beijing Foreign Language University Institute of International Relations expert Zhao Huang told the Global Times on the 20th that Australia's military aircraft invaded China's airspace in China's Seychelles is not the first time, but has formed a "standardized" operation procedure for provocation, touching ceramics and blackmailing, and has become the usual method of repressing Australia's participation in military siege against China.

¡°Australia, on the one hand, military-oriented underwater vessel deployment to engage in military reconnaissance; on the other hand, in the public opinion deliberately vague disclosure of activities in the airspace, the so-called ¡®sea surveillance flight¡¯ to confuse international audiovisual, after encountering the military defense of the Liberation Army, black and white shape the image of the so-called weak and innocent, blur the international moral basis of China in the South China Sea sovereign borders, damage and damage China¡¯s image, sovereign interests, military security.¡±

He believes that Australia itself has a broad foundation of common interests with China, but as a staunch ally and middle-power country of the United States, it has a strong inertia of dependence and realistic "ally obligations" to the United States. It is difficult to get rid of the overall strategic competition track of the United States with China, and has to show loyalty to the United States through this bluff trick every now and then.

In an interview with the Global Times on the 20th, military expert Zhang said that Australia should not believe that there is U.S. support, but should show force in China's sea airspace and provoke incidents, which is undesirable and unmotivated.China has the right to take severe measures against intentional invasion of its own airspace, endangering our country's security and with obvious hostility.The strong response of the Southern War Zone Air Force press spokesman shows the determination of the U.S. to safeguard national sovereignty and security, and also shows the ability of the Chinese People's Liberation Army to safeguard national security sovereignty.

It is worth noting that the main protagonist of Australia's implementation of "touch ceramics" has always been the P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft, and the Southern war zone air force prepared for combat combat combat aircraft have been demonstrated two models of the J-16 and Su-35. Zhang analyzed that the Australian military aircraft not far from thousands of miles invaded China's territory for reconnaissance, on the one hand is to cooperate with the US Indo-Pacific strategy, to show loyalty to the United States, willing to do the U.S. so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy" of the game, in order to provoke international public opinion, to the purpose of containing China; on the other hand, also want to use the provocation of China to brush the presence of the J-20

Zhang said that the Chinese military to Australia's invasion of the Sissa Islands airspace military aircraft disposal is professional standard and rather restraint, but the Australian side does not consider China's restraint as weak and deceitful, hoping that Australia understand the external statements of the Liberation Army, understand the warning of the Liberation Army deportation, do not intentionally "touch" and show force, violate China's territorial sovereignty, to reduce the danger of the two army sea and air accidents, if the Australian military repeatedly intentionally provokes, trigger any sea and air accident between the two armies, all responsibility should be borne by Australia. "