‘Act of Aggression’: US Senator Reacts to CCP’s Attack on Australian Navy Divers

Peoples Liberation Army Navy General Intelligence Ship Tianguanxing (AGI-797) transits through the Arafura Sea, approximately 40 nautical miles north of the Tiwi Islands on July 10. (Courtesy of the Australian Department of Defence)

A senior U.S. official has described the Chinese Community Party (CCP)’s latest provocation on the high seas as “aggressive.”

Sonar pulses emitted by a CCP warship injured Australian navel divers on Nov. 14.

The incident happened only a few days after U.S. President Joe Biden met with CCP leader Xi Jinping, noted the top Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho).

“China’s latest provocation on the high seas, this time directed at Australia, is more than risky operational behavior. It is an act of aggression undertaken in international waters,” Mr. Risch said.

“This brazen act occurred a week after Xi met with Australia’s Prime Minister, and only days after President Biden touted the restoration of our military-to-military communication after his meeting with this dictator.”

‘Unsafe and ’Unprofessional': Deputy Prime Minister

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles expressed serious concern after the “unsafe and unprofessional interaction” with a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) destroyer on Nov. 14.

HMAS Toowoomba had advised the PLA-N destroyer diving operations were taking place in international waters inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

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The CCP vessel, having received these communications, was detected operating a sonar in a way that “posed a risk to the safety of Australian divers,” Mr. Marles indicated.

He said that medical assessments after divers exited the water found they sustained minor injuries “likely due to being subjected to the sonar pulses from the Chinese destroyer.”

“This is unsafe and unprofessional conduct,” Mr. Marles said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed the sentiment, saying “This was dangerous, it was unsafe and unprofessional from the Chinese forces.”

“And our major concern, of course, is always for the safety of our Australian Defence Force personnel. And in this case, one person suffered an injury as a result of the actions of China.”

Beijing Denies Description of Incident

However, Beijing has claimed Australia’s description of the incident as “completely inconsistent with the facts.”

But in a press conference on Nov. 21, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said CCP’s denial is “propaganda.”

“The fact is that there is aggressive behaviour taking place and our country should be calling it out,” Mr. Dutton said.

“It’s propaganda, and we shouldn’t abide it for a second. It’s exactly what happens in relation to Japan, the Philippines, and other countries in the region.”

Mr. Risch, elaborating further on the incident, expressed that communication with Beijing will not stop these risky incidents.

“China is not going to stop these risky and aggressive naval and air maneuvers, and no amount of military confidence-building and communications mechanisms is going to change that,” he said.

“Putting any faith in these mechanisms with Beijing breeds false confidence that only puts U.S. and allied militaries at further risk. Lines must be drawn and enforced.”

Last week, Mr. Albanese, Mr. Biden, and Mr. Xi all joined leaders in San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting.

While Mr. Biden described Mr. Xi as a dictator, Mr. Albanese avoided being drawn in when asked by a journalist, “Is Xi Jinping a dictator?”

“We have different political systems. Australia has one political system. China has a different political system from Australia. It’s not a democratic state with elections with multi-party democracies, like Australia is,” Mr. Albanese said on Nov. 17.