Mid-air military incident threatens to inflame tensions between Australia and China

The fallout from an incident involving an Australian surveillance aircraft and a Chinese fighter plane threatens to re-ignite tensions between the two countries. The RAAF plane was intercepted by the Chinese fighter during routine maritime surveillance, forcing it to engage in what the Defence Department has described as a dangerous manoeuvre.

A Chinese PLA J-16 fighter jet flies in an undisclosed location (File photo released by the Taiwan Ministry of Defense via AAP) Source: AAP