China issues warship warning to Australia
Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, said in a speech at the University of Sydney, "We call on the Australian government and military to act with great caution in this area (the South China Sea)."
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Warning Australia regarding the deployment of warships, Liu stated that if a potential minor accident were to occur and the situation was not managed well, tensions could escalate.
Regarding Australia's claim that a Chinese warship slightly injured 2 divers from the Australian navy in Japanese territorial waters, Liu emphasized that the incident in question took place outside of Japanese territorial waters.
Liu reiterated his stance that the Chinese warship did not cause any harm.
CLAIM THAT CHINESE WARSHIP INJURED AUSTRALIAN DIVERS
Australia had announced that 2 divers from the Australian navy were slightly injured due to the use of a sonar pulse by a Chinese warship in international waters.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles had noted on November 14 that a Chinese warship approached Australia's "HMAS Toowoomba," which was sailing in international waters, and forced 2 Australian divers to exit the water by operating its sonar.