Australia has told China it is seriously concerned about injuries suffered by Australian navy divers this week from a Chinese destroyer’s sonar in Japan’s exclusive economic zone. A Chinese navy ship ignored requests to stay away from the divers, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday.
The divers were removing fishing nets that had become entangled in the propellers of a Navy frigate. The Australian ship was in the area as part of an operation to support United Nations sanctions against North Korea. The Australian frigate had informed the Chinese destroyer of the diving operation and asked it to keep its distance, but the Chinese ship came closer.
“Shortly afterwards it was discovered that the Chinese ship was using its hull-mounted sonar in a way that posed a risk to the Australian divers who were forced to leave the water,” Marles said.
“Medical assessments conducted after the divers emerged from the water revealed that they had suffered minor injuries, likely due to exposure to the Chinese destroyer’s sonar pulses,” said Marles, calling the Chinese vessel’s behavior “unsafe.” and unprofessional”. It is not known exactly what kind of injuries were involved.
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