The Epoch Times By
Beijing has defended a PLA pilot’s dangerous air maneuvers made against an Australian military plane that was conducting maritime surveillance in international airspace in the South China Sea, stating the actions were “reasonable, and legitimate.”
A spokesperson for the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Ministry of Defense claimed that the Australian P-8A aircraft entered its sovereign airspace over the internationally contested Paracel Islands, which China calls the Xisha Islands, and accused Australia of seeking to do close-in reconnaissance.
“The Australian warplane has seriously threatened China’s sovereignty and security and the countermeasures taken by the Chinese military are professional, safe, reasonable, and legitimate,” the spokesperson said.
