What China seems to be saying with its war games near Australia is: If you’re challenging our air space over the South China Sea, which belongs to

Australia has protested what it describes as an unsafe and unprofessional interaction over the South China Sea where a Chinese fighter is accused of releasing flares that endangered an Australian military surveillance plane.

Australia has accused the Chinese air force of an “unsafe and unprofessional interaction” with one of Canberra’s military aircraft over the South China Sea during a routine maritime surveillance operation.

Canberra says Chinese jet dropped flares nears its air force plane as China accuses Australia of airspace intrusion.

Accusation comes after Australia says a Chinese military jet conducted ‘unsafe’ manoeuvres over international waters.

I was very clear in that.” Australian military officials have reportedly raised concerns with their Chinese counterparts about a midair incident over the South China Sea, as senior officials met in Beijing.

Australia and China traded blame over an incident above the disputed Paracel archipelago in the South China Sea, adding to an already volatile situation in the region. A Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft experienced an “unsafe and unprofessional interaction” with a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft on Tuesday,

Australia's defense forces, joined by New Zealand, have been monitoring Chinese navy vessels since they were spotted last week.

China in turn accused the Australian plane of "deliberately" intruding into airspace over the disputed Paracel Islands,

A Chinese military helicopter flew within 10 feet (3 meters) of a Philippine patrol plane over the South China Sea on Tuesday, in what observers said was the second incident of potentially catastrophic behavior by the People’s Liberation Army against foreign aircraft in a week.