China's Navy Provokes Anger in Australia

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has accused Beijing of intimidation after a Chinese naval vessel directed laser beams at an Australian military reconnaissance aircraft last week. The Ministry of Defence stated that a ship from the Chinese navy targeted the Australian maritime patrol plane on Thursday while it was flying over Australia’s northern coasts, potentially endangering lives. Morrison said in a press conference that his government would demand answers from Beijing, adding, "I cannot see this in any way other than as an act of intimidation and an unprovoked and unjustifiable act, and Australia will never accept such acts of intimidation." Defence Minister Peter Dutton described the incident as "a very aggressive act that occurred in Australia’s exclusive economic zone," according to Reuters. Relations between Australia and China, its largest trading partner, have soured since Canberra banned Huawei Technologies from its 5G telecommunications network in 2018, tightened laws against foreign political interference, and called for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19.