CANBERRA, Australia –
A visiting Chinese official warned Australia on Tuesday to exercise “great caution” in deploying warships in the South China Sea following a recent confrontation between the two navies.
Liu Jianchao, the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign minister, made the warning during a speech at a Sydney university during a trip that paves the way for President Xi Jinping’s visit to Australia, which is expected to take place next year.
Bilateral relations had improved recently but took a downturn when Australia accused the Chinese destroyer CNS Ningbo on November 14 of injuring Australian Navy divers with sonar pulses in Japanese waters. Australia said China ignored a security warning to stay away from the Australian frigate HMAS Toowoomba.
Liu reiterated China’s position that the encounter took place outside Japanese territorial waters and that the Chinese warship caused no damage.
“We call on the Australian government and also the military to act with great caution in this area,” said Liu from the University of Technology Sydney.
“A small incident like this could really escalate if not handled properly,” he added.
The Toowoomba further angered Beijing by sailing south from Japan through the contested Taiwan Strait last week.
Liu said Australia was making a statement through the exercise that it was containing China.
The US, Canadian and Australian militaries have repeatedly complained about what they say are dangerous actions by the Chinese navy and air force in the Western Pacific. Analysts fear that a collision or other accident could trigger an international incident and escalate into a conflict.
Liu’s visit comes after Anthony Albanese recently became the first Australian prime minister to visit China in seven years.
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