Australian PM Anthony Albanese isn’t holding back on criticizing China after a tense run-in between Chinese and Aussie warships. But he’s keeping hush about whether he discussed this with President Xi Jinping in their recent chat.
What Went Down
Albanese spilled the beans that an Aussie diver got hurt when a Chinese destroyer used sonar near an Aussie frigate in the big blue last Tuesday. Defense Minister Richard Marles also got serious, calling out China’s destroyer for being reckless and uncool.
The Sit-Down with Xi
Albanese and Xi met at a summit in San Francisco but decided to keep their chats on the down-low. No official summaries or deets from their convo.
“I don’t spill the beans on private talks, you know,” Albanese told Sky News.
He made it clear that Australia had already given China a piece of their mind through the right channels.
The Critics Chime In
Opposition folks aren’t happy. They’re calling out Albanese for choosing pics with Xi over standing up for Aussies. Some are worried it might mess up the relationship on the mend.
Albanese’s trip to China marked the first by an Aussie PM in seven years, hinting things are thawing since the 2022 government change.
Folks are Nervous Worldwide
Australia’s feeling iffy about China’s navy and air force making risky moves in the western Pacific. Everyone’s worried these actions could turn into big problems.
The Whole Story
Aussie officials spilled that the Chinese destroyer Ningbo fired up its sonar while Aussie divers were trying to sort out fishing nets tangled in their ship’s props. One diver got banged up, supposedly ear trouble from the sonar. That stuff’s known to mess up soft tissue bad at close range.
China’s Response
China’s all about their military doing things by the book. They’re telling everyone to chill out and focus on keeping the China-Australia vibe good.
China’s Global Times wasn’t sold on Australia saying their ship was in the right waters during the tiff. They suggested the Aussie ship might’ve rubbed China the wrong way if it was near their islands or military drills.
