
‘Maligned Behaviour’: Australian Navy Divers Injured by Sonar From Chinese Destroyer
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles has condemned the behaviour of a Chinese destroyer after it turned on a sonar device near an Australian ship, causing injuries to Australian Navy divers. In a statement, Mr. Marles criticised the Chinese vessel for its “unsafe and unprofessional conduct” and said the Australian government has expressed “serious concerns” to the Chinese regime regarding the event. On Nov. 14, divers of the Navy’s HMAS Toowoomba were clearing fishing nets that had become entangled around the ship in international waters inside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone. While divers were under the waters, a Chinese destroyer (DDG-139) operating nearby moved closer to the Australian vessel, which responded by requesting that the Chinese ship keep clear and informing that diving operations were underway....
