Video of Chinese jet’s apparent intercept with Australian defence plane ‘deeply troubling’ propaganda, Coalition says

The release of a video appearing to show a Chinese military aircraft in a "dangerous" interception with an Australian surveillance plane has been criticised as "risky" and "deeply troubling" propaganda by the Australian opposition, who are calling for the prime minister to raise the matter with China's president.

The footage, posted on video-hosting site BiliBili with the watermark of Chinese state television's military affairs channel, appeared to show a People's Liberation Army (PLA) J-16 fighter intercepting an Australian P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft. The incident took place in international airspace over the South China Sea in 2022.

A defence spokesperson said the video was unverified, and specific details of Australian Defence Force (ADF) airborne missions could not be provided for operational security reasons.

"All missions by ADF assets are conducted in international waters and airspace, in accordance with international law," the spokesperson said.

"Australia has raised strong concerns with China following each incident of unsafe and unprofessional PLA behaviour. Australia will continue to raise our expectation for safe and professional behaviour."

In the Chinese-language footage, Zhang Zhanfang from a brigade of the aviation corps labelled the Australian aircraft a "formidable enemy", saying: "the brave will win in close combat so long as they flash their sword and confront their enemy".

The video description on BiliBili alleged the Australian aircraft flew at a low altitude, "was not strictly following the rule, and it was fast approaching our baseline flying vertically at nearly 90 degrees".

In 2022, a defence spokesperson said in a statement that a RAAF P-8 surveillance aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft during a routine maritime surveillance activity in the South China Sea region, on 26 May that year.

At the time, Defence said the intercept "resulted in a dangerous manoeuvre which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew." Defence also said the Australian government had raised its concerns about the incident with the Chinese government.

The shadow minister for foreign affairs, Simon Birmingham, said on Wednesday that the video appears to be "an unacceptable glorification of unacceptable military conduct".

"There are far too many instances now in relation to Chinese military conduct towards Australia and many other regional partners, particularly and notably the Philippines in recent times, where that conduct has been unduly risky, aggressive and creates a circumstance of possible miscalculation or escalation that none of us would wish to see," Birmingham told ABC Radio.

"[The video] appears to glorify and encourage this type of conduct, rather than seeking to ensure that military conduct is undertaken responsibly.

"And disturbingly within this video, it appears to describe Australia as an enemy and an opponent, and that is certainly not how we see ourselves in relation to the type of relationship we wish to have with China."

Birmingham said that peace and stability is "jeopardised by the way in which the [PLA] conducts itself" and that "this type of risky conduct does need to be called out." He said the government should make "strong representations" about this video to China at both an officials' level and a ministerial level.

The shadow defence minister, Andrew Hastie, labelled the footage as "propaganda" and said it was "deeply troubling".

"It is a reminder of the continued aggression shown towards the ADF by the PLA. This is not the actions of a friend," he said.

"The Coalition calls on the prime minister to stand up for Australia's best interests, and our ADF personnel, and raise this matter when he next meets with President Xi.

"We must show strength in the face of aggression."

The deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles, reiterated on Wednesday that the video had not yet been verified. He said that freedom of navigation and overflight of international waters was "central to Australia's national interest", and that the ADF operates in accordance with international law in "asserting the rules-based order".

"We have interactions often with the PLA Navy. We do have a dialogue with China. Where there have been incidents that have been unsafe and unprofessional, we've called them out," Marles said.

"We've said all along that we've sought to stabilise our relationship with China, and work with China where we can, disagree where we must."