Australian PM Pressed on Dangerous Chinese Sonar Incident in Parliament

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reacts during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra on Nov. 27, 2023. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been confronted by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in Question Time over whether he raised a deadly sonar incident with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping.

On Nov. 14, a Chinese destroyer approached an area where the Australian Navy’s HMAS Toowoomba was conducting a mission in international waters inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

Despite warnings that Australian navy personnel were in the water, the Chinese destroyer turned on its hull-mounted sonar, forcing divers who were operating near the frigate to exit, suffering minor injuries.

Just days later, Mr. Albanese met with the CCP leader Xi Jinping at a recent APEC meeting in San Francisco on Nov. 17.

“The government expressed concerns about the HMAS Toowoomba incident clearly, directly, and unambiguously,” Mr Albanese said in his answer in Parliament on Nov. 27.

“This event was unsafe and was unprofessional. We communicated through all appropriate channels and with every opportunity that was available to us.”

Mr. Albanese said the government had worked hard to stabilise the relationship with Beijing without compromising any of Australia’s core interests.

“We have been patient, calibrated, and deliberate in our approach.”

Mr. Dutton asked the prime minister again to answer the straightforward question of whether he raised the issue directly with CCP leader Xi.

The Labor leader replied accusing the opposition of thinking foreign relations were simple, and accused them of failing to “get a phone call” from CCP leaders during the “entire term of the last government.”

He went ahead on to talk about Australia’s increased exports to China under his government.

“Compared with the $85 million of exports on these products that suffered from trade impediments last year, this year, up until just August, $6 billion of those products had gone to China,” said Mr. Albanese.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra on Nov. 27, 2023. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

“The fact is, we now have a path forward for wine exports.

“We’ll cooperate with China where we can. We’ll disagree where we must.”

Opposition Says Australia Must Expose Beijing’s Aggression

Beijing has accused Australia of “making trouble” over the altercation by coming up with “rude” and “irresponsible” accusations.

Mao Ning, the communist regime’s foreign ministry spokeswoman claimed the Chinese military was “strictly disciplined” and always “operated professionally in accordance with the international law and international common practices.”

HMAS Toowoomba is seen from the Japan Coast Guard Gulfstream V aircraft whilst in the search zone for debris from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on April 1, 2014 in Perth, Australia.Paul Kane - Pool/Getty Images

However, Mr. Dutton panned the Chinese officials’ denial of Australian divers suffering injuries as “propaganda.”

“It’s exactly what happens in relation to Japan, in relation to the Philippines, and in relation to other countries in the region,” he said on Nov. 21.

“The fact is that there is aggressive behaviour taking place and our country should be calling it out.

“We want a strong trading relationship, but that doesn’t mean that our prime minister has to backpedal, or soft pedal. It doesn’t mean that our prime minister needs to come up with some sort of tricky explanation as to why he didn’t raise this very significant issue with President Xi.”