Canberra accuses Chinese fighter jet of dropping flares dangerously close to Australian helicopter

The federal government has accused a Chinese fighter jet of dropping flares dangerously close to an Australian helicopter on a United Nations mission in international waters.

The Albanese government has condemned the incident in the same grave terms it used after accusing a Chinese navy ship of targeting Australian divers with sonar pulses late last year.

A Navy Seahawk helicopter, attached to HMAS Hobart, was conducting what was described as a routine flight when it was said to have been intercepted by a Chinese J-10 fighter jet.

Defence said the Chinese ship had deployed its sonar unit against Australian divers working to untangle fishing nets from the Toowoomba’s propellers, leading to minor injuries to two crew.

skip past newsletter promotion Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters

Regarding the weekend’s flare incident, the defence department said Australia “expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a professional and safe manner”.