Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has criticised Beijing for “an act of intimidation” after a Chinese warship fired a laser at a Royal Australian military aircraft. The attack took place on Feb. 17 as an Australian P-8A Poseidon aircraft was monitoring a Chinese Navy vessel sailing through the Arafura Sea—in international waters but inside Australia’s exclusive economic zone. The Chinese warship reportedly fired a military-grade laser at the Australian aircraft, an action that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) said could have put the lives of ADF personnel in danger. The incident comes following a week of domestic political dispute about national security as Beijing escalates its plans to become the dominant force in the Indo-Pacific region. ‘Unprovoked, Unwarranted’ Morrison on Sunday described the Thursday event as a “reckless and irresponsible act” by China. “I can see it in no other way than an act of intimidation, one that was unprovoked, unwarranted,” …
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