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Amber Wang

China has denied Australian claims that a warship shone a laser at a surveillance aircraft last Thursday, accusing Canberra of spreading false information.
Wang Wenbin, spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, said the information released by the Australian side was “not true”.
Why China’s Mighty Dragon may be short of firepower for laser weapons
Australia’s defence department said on Saturday that a P-8A Poseidon had been targeted by a laser from a People’s Liberation Army vessel while in flight over Australia’s northern approaches.
But Wang said Chinese ships conformed with international law in the high seas.
“We urge the Australian side to respect the legitimate rights that Chinese ships enjoy in relevant waters in accordance with international law, and stop maliciously spreading false information about China,” Wang said.
Australia called it “a serious safety incident” adding “acts like this have the potential to endanger lives”.
Canberra released several images of the two PLA vessels – a Luyang-class guided missile destroyer and a Yuzhao-class amphibious transport dock vessel – which it said were sailing in the Arafura Sea at the time of the incident. Both ships have since passed through the Torres Strait and are now in the Coral Sea.


Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesman for the Chinese defence ministry, said the Australian statement was completely inconsistent with the facts.
Tan said the Australian anti-submarine patrol aircraft arrived in the airspace surrounding China’s warship formation and came within 4km of one ship.
“The Chinese warships always maintained safe, standardised and professional operations during the entire encounter with the Australian aircraft,” Tan said.

The ministry also released two photos taken by the Chinese warship in the statement, saying that the Australian aircraft was very close to the Chinese warship, and placed sonar buoys around it.

“Such malicious and provocative actions can easily lead to misunderstandings and misjudgments, posing a threat to the safety of ships, aircraft and personnel of both sides,” Tan added.
China scientists work on laser to improve hypersonic missile speeds
He also accused the Australian side of deliberately spreading false information, saying: “We demand that the Australian side immediately stop such provocative and dangerous actions, and stop making groundless accusations and smears against China.”
The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions between the two countries.
Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the incident had happened in Australia’s exclusive economic zone and said the use of lasers “can result in the blindness of the crew, it can obviously result in damage of equipment”.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was a “reckless and irresponsible … act of intimidation”, adding that Australia was raising the incident directly through diplomatic and defence channels.
But Chinese researchers expressed scepticism over Australia’s claims, and said more details of the incident should be released.
Hu Bo, director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, a Beijing-based think tank, said: “The scenario may be that the P-8A was getting very close to the Chinese warship, but I am not sure if China shone lasers against it.
The powerful Chinese megawatt laser ‘small enough for a satellite’
“If the two sides were very close and the confrontation was intense, then Australia may regard many things as lasers.”
However, Hu suggested that China might use lasers under certain circumstances.
“If the plane flew very close to Chinese warships, the Chinese side may have used a laser for ranging – as the close distance may affect our security, and we did it for the sake of defence,” Hu said, but added this scenario was very unlikely.
Hu said Australia needs to provide more evidence and added that lasers would not pose a threat to people or equipment if used for ranging.
Fu Qianshao, a former member of the PLA Air Force, said it remained unclear whether the Chinese vessels were in the area in question, adding “so far we only have Australia’s word for it”.
Fu said the lasers are used for tracking the range of a potential target, and sometimes for jamming, but will not cause harm to the target unless a weapon is fired afterwards, a capacity Chinese warships lack.
‘A revolution’: China may be first with global laser satellite network
But John Blaxland, professor of international security and intelligence studies at the Australian National University, wrote in an article for The Conversation, which was later republished by The Guardian, that lasers are used largely to determine the firing range and designate a target.
Pointing a laser is often referred to as “painting a target” before firing live munitions, he wrote, which is widely seen as a hostile act, just short of crossing the threshold of open conflict or war.
He also added laser beams themselves are dangerous because they can cause permanent blindness if shone into someone’s eyes, as well as damaging to important navigational and air safety systems.


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Australia

China says Australian laser claims are ‘false and malicious’

Australia released pictures of two Chinese warships after the incident. Photo: Handout

Australia won’t stand for ‘acts of intimidation’, Morrison says after China navy laser incident

A Chinese PLA-N Yuzhao-class amphibious transport dock vessel transits the Torres Strait in Northern Australia on February 17, 2022. Photo: Australian Defence Force / AFP

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Photo: TNS 

Australia says Chinese navy ship fired laser at military aircraft

The P-8A Poseidon detected a laser illuminating the aircraft while in flight over Australia’s northern approaches. File photo: AP

US Navy says Chinese warship pointed laser at patrol aircraft near Guam

The US said a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was targeted as it flew over international waters in the western Pacific last week. Photo: AP

=== PHOTO CAPTURED FROM WEIBO === On the 18th Feb., the PLA Navy's offshore training formations formally entered the international waters of the Western Hemisphere through the international date change line in the form of combat formations. The ships participating in the offshore training include: 052D destroyer 161 Hohhot, 054A frigate 500 Xianning, 901 integrated supply ship 967 Chagan Lake, and 815A electronic reconnaissance ship 857xx.It is reported that the United States Hawaiian Agate Radio (Manao Radio) reported that the fleet is currently close to Hawaiian waters. 18FEB20 WEIBO

News

China

Diplomacy


Canberra said a surveillance plane had been targeted by a laser from a People’s Liberation Army warship last week
Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin says the claims are not true and urges Australia to stop spreading misinformation



Canberra said a surveillance plane had been targeted by a laser from a People’s Liberation Army warship last week.


China’s military

China says Australian laser claims are ‘false and malicious’

Canberra said a surveillance plane had been targeted by a laser from a People’s Liberation Army warship last week Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin says the claims are not true and urges Australia to stop spreading misinformation

Canberra said a surveillance plane had been targeted by a laser from a People’s Liberation Army warship last week

Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin says the claims are not true and urges Australia to stop spreading misinformation