Laser Attack

China has denied Australia’s accusation of aiming a laser at an Australian surveillance plane “Laser Attack”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing said today that the allegation was “not true” and that the accused Chinese naval ship had complied with international maritime law.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin “urged” the Australian government to respect the “legitimate rights” of Chinese ships and “stop spreading false information about China.”

“Human lives at risk”

According to the Australian government, a Chinese naval ship aimed a laser at an Australian surveillance aircraft off the north Australian coast last week, “endangering lives”. Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison accused China of an “act of intimidation”, Defense Minister Peter Dutton spoke of a “very aggressive act”.

Relations between Australia and China have continued to deteriorate in recent years. Beijing reacted angrily when Morrison called for an independent investigation into the origin of the pandemic. Beijing has also criticized Australia’s new defense alliance with the US and Britain for the Indo-Pacific and has imposed sanctions on a whole range of Australian exports such as wine and coal.