By AFP and Focus | 2026-03-16

SYDNEY -- Australia has accused a Chinese navy helicopter of flying dangerously close to one of its military aircraft during a patrol over the Yellow Sea and forcing the crew to take evasive action.

Australia's Defense Department said the encounter occurred on March 4 while an Australian Defense Force (ADF) helicopter was conducting routine activities over international waters between China and the Korean peninsula.

The helicopter had launched from the frigate HMAS Toowoomba when a People's Liberation Army Navy helicopter approached and maneuvered at close range, according to Canberra.

The Chinese aircraft matched the Australian helicopter's altitude before closing to an unsafe distance, the Defense Department said.

It then moved slightly ahead, increased speed and rolled toward the Australian helicopter, requiring the crew to take evasive action to maintain safe flight.

No Australian personnel were injured and the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter was not damaged, said Canberra.

The Australian government said it had raised concerns with Beijing following the incident.

Enforcing sanctions

HMAS Toowoomba was operating in international waters as part of Operation Argos, Australia's contribution to multinational efforts to enforce United Nations (UN) Security Council sanctions on North Korea. The mission involves monitoring maritime activity suspected of supporting illicit transfers linked to Pyongyang.

China rejected Australia's account of the encounter. Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin said Canberra was presenting "a complete distortion of facts and a reversal of right and wrong."

Beijing accused the Australian frigate of conducting close reconnaissance near China while claiming to enforce UN sanctions.

Since 2018, countries such as Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom have carried out maritime and aerial surveillance from Japanese and South Korean bases to halt violations of the sanctions.

Defense Minister Richard Marles praised the response of Australian personnel following the incident.

"The work our ADF personnel do in asserting the global rules-based order is vitally important," he said.

Tense incidents pile up

The encounter follows a series of tense incidents between Chinese and Australian forces in recent years.

During a routine patrol over the South China Sea last October, a Chinese fighter jet intercepted an Australian P-8A Poseidon and deployed flares in the aircraft's vicinity.

Two years earlier, a Chinese warship used sonar near an Australian naval vessel while divers were operating in the water, causing minor injuries.

Such interactions have become increasingly frequent and raise concerns about the safety of military operations in the region, say Australian officials.

The Yellow Sea has become an increasingly sensitive area for military activity because of its proximity to both China and the Korean peninsula.

The waters lie near several major Chinese naval and air bases and are used by international forces enforcing the sanctions.

Foreign patrols conducted under the banner of sanctions are in reality intelligence-gathering missions targeting China and its military, Beijing has long argued.

Countries participating in the monitoring effort maintain they carry out the operations in international waters and airspace in accordance with international law.