As Anthony Albanese touches down in America in preparation for his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, a Chinese fighter jet was caught releasing flares in the vicinity of an Australian surveillance plane.

The incident, suspected to be a deliberate provocation to remind Albanese about China’s influence in the Pacific, took place in the South China Sea.

This behaviour is typical of the CCP, which uses military mishaps to threaten neighbouring nations, particularly those in contested waters.

For Australia, this follows a range of dangerous and inflammatory incidents from the expansionist communist power which paraded its military arsenal in front of global dignitaries, including former Australian politicians, earlier in the year.

Australia’s Defence Minister, Richard Marles, said of the concerning display:

‘No damage was done but it was dangerous and it was unsafe, and inherent in that … it could have been a different outcome.’

When pressed, Marles declined to comment on the obvious and inflammatory timing of the exchange which no thinking person could perceive as a coincidence. In this regard, his following comments are unconvincing and procedural.

‘This has clearly happened before, so it’s not the first occasion on which we’ve seen this. And that’s why we have a very set procedure that we go through in instances of this kind.’

No matter how calm the Defence Minister remains, China has gotten its point across. We are here. You are undefended.

It also whispered something else: We are afraid of Donald Trump.

The Coalition has been less forgiving of China’s actions and Labor’s tepid response.

Senator Michaelia Cash, who is serving as the Acting Shadow Minister for Defence, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, joined the Shadow Minister for Defence Personnel, Melissa Price, in releasing a joint statement.

Titled, The Prime Minister Must Condemn Dangerous Chinese Communist Party Provocation, it read:

Reports of a Chinese fighter jet releasing flares in close proximity to a Royal Australian Air Force surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea are plainly unacceptable.

The Coalition views these actions as dangerous.

This is the third such provocation in less than a year, following a similar incident in February and unwarned live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea. This pattern of behaviour represents a serious escalation and poses a direct risk to the safety of Australian Defence Force personnel.

The Prime Minister must condemn this dangerous action publicly. Australia cannot afford silence or half-measures when the safety of our servicemen and women is at stake.

The Prime Minister also needs to use his supposed improved relationship with the Chinese Communist Party to secure an unequivocal agreement that these provocative actions will stop.

If the Prime Minister cannot secure that assurance, it will demonstrate a failure to stand up for Australia’s national interests on the international stage.

Shadow Minister for Defence Personnel, the Hon Melissa Price, called for these provocations to cease.

“When Australian aircrew were conducting lawful operations and are confronted with unsafe, aggressive actions, Australians expect their government to respond firmly.

“China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force continues to demonstrate a blatant disregard for international norms and for the safety of those operating in international airspace. These are not isolated lapses.”

Acting Shadow Minister for Defence and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, said these incidents highlight the increasingly dangerous strategic environment Australia faces.

“This is a stark reminder of the strategic reality confronting Australia. At a time when threats are growing, we should be strengthening our nation’s defences,” Senator Cash said.

“It is clear we are living in the most uncertain times since the second world war and in that context, it is incredibly disappointing that the Prime Minister has said that they will not increase defence spending to a level that’s appropriate and necessary in order to implement their own plan.”

These incidents only underscore the need for the Albanese government to urgently increase Defence spending and deliver real capability, not delay it.

The Prime Minister must use this meeting with President Trump to further cement the Alliance and deter future aggression in our region.

Before getting too excited about Albanese’s powers of friendship with the communists, let’s remember he can’t even manage to repatriate our Port of Darwin despite a cosy trade trip earlier in the year.

The only thing that little venture achieved was to sink Australia deeper into the economic jaws of Beijing.

Albanese and Marles must be asked what other explanation explains this reckless military scenario?

If the answer is deliberate aggression to influence talks between Australia and America, why is the Labor government going out of its way to latch onto China to the point Australia has become dependent on the dictatorship for the components of its energy grid?

This goes beyond reckless behaviour.

It is insane.

Senator Matt Canavan tweeted about this earlier today.

‘China is threatening to stop almost all industry in the West using rare earths manufacturing as leverage. And, politicians in the West remain obsessed with the idea they can change the temperature by installing windmills and glass panels. Net Zero is a suicidal scam.’

Rare earths are a key topic and may be raised by Donald Trump at the White House.

Australia has one of the only large supplies currently outside the grip of China, which controls the vast majority of the world’s mining and manufacturing supply. If war were to break out, it is critical for the US, as the West’s protector, to have access to an alternate source.

This would be in Australia’s best interests, and so China is rattling its sabre at Albanese to stop him from making a smart geopolitical choice.