Australia accuses China of aiming laser at plane

Australia’s prime minister has accused China of an “act of intimidation” after a Chinese naval vessel allegedly aimed a laser at an Australian military plane.

Two Chinese naval vessels were off the northern coast of Australia on Thursday when a laser was pointed at an Australian surveillance plane from one of the boats. “This could have put lives at risk,” the Australian Ministry of Defense said.

“I can only see this as an act of intimidation,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. The Prime Minister called the act “unjustified and unprovoked”. The Australian Defense Secretary went one step further, calling it a “very aggressive act”. “I think the Chinese government hopes that no one talks about these aggressive acts of intimidation,” he told Australian television channel Sky News on Sunday.

The Chinese authorities have not yet responded to the Australian allegations.