South China Sea tensions: Australian helicopter pilots struct by LASERS in disputed region

Euan Graham, who was onboard HMAS Canberra which was sailing nearby through the disputed waters, said the aircraft was forced to the ground as a precaution after becoming under siege. Mr Graham said: “Some helicopter pilots had lasers pointed at them from passing fishing vessels, temporarily grounding them for precautionary medical reasons.” In recent years China has increased pressure to assert its sovereignty over Taiwan, which it considers a wayward province of “one China” and sacred Chinese territory.

This incident follows reports the Australian Navy were also tailed by the Chinese military during a voyage.

The Navy had been on a three month tour of seven Asian nations.

Air Commodore Richard Owen said the Group made two journeys through the region, where the Chinese military keeps a close watch over the contested waters.

Air Commodore Owen said: “It is controversial, we were quite aware of that.

“We transited north and south through the South China Sea in international waters and we were engaged, as we normally are, by other navies.”

He added: “We were sensitive to all navy interactions, we train for that, we are aware of how they will behave and how we behave, so I had no extra worries about it at all, I was confident in the capabilities of the Royal Australian Navy.”

The South China Sea is also one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

An estimated £3.95 trillion worth of goods passes through it each year.

The territory has also become embroiled in the ongoing trade war between China and US.

Last week the US military confirmed two Navy ships sailed north through the Taiwan strait.

Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet said: “The ships’ transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Meanwhile the state-run China Daily has warned of the significance of the US in the region and said there is “no guarantee that the presence of US warships on China’s doorstep will not spark direct confrontation between the two militaries”.

Earlier this month the US president Donald Trump increased levies on $200 billion (£157.3bn) worth of Chinese imports into the US.

Tariffs were increased from 10 percent to 25 percent after Washington and Beijing failed to reach a deal on trade.

Meanwhile China retaliated by announcing plans to raise levies on $60bn of US imports from June 1.

source: express.co.uk