Australian warship involved in ‘dangerous’ incident with China that injured Australian Navy divers is sent to patrol the South China Sea in joint exercise with the Philippines

Australia and the Philippines have begun regular joint naval and air force patrols in the South China Sea, as Pacific nations eye an increasingly assertive China.

The frigate HMAS Toowoomba – which was involved in an incident earlier this month in which several Australian Navy divers were injured when a Chinese warship fired sonar pulses – will be sent along with a P8-A maritime surveillance aircraft.

On the day of the naval incident, Anthony Albanese posed for photos with iconic Australian TV character Bluey, but later said he “knew” China had carried out the attack.

China denied the accusation, but Albanese dismissed that statement when asked if he believed China carried out the attack.

“I know they did,” Mr. Albanese said.

“The Australian Defense Force and the Navy, we don’t make a statement like that without checking everything.

“It was a dangerous thing to happen and it shouldn’t have happened.”

Anthony Albanese posed for photos with TV character Bluey on the day of the Navy’s clash with China, which has already earned him a backlash for being ‘tone deaf’ amid the situation in the Middle East

The prime minister, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit this month, is keen to improve Australia’s relationship with China.

‘They always push back. “We said we will disagree where necessary, and here we have a disagreement,” he said.

The divers suffered minor ear injuries, despite the Australian vessel warning others they were in the area.

The new three-day exercises with the Philippines follow discussions earlier this year on joint patrols to underline what the countries say is their commitment to closer cooperation and a rules-based order in the region.

It also comes days after Manila took similar steps with the United States and concluded patrols that began in the waters off Taiwan.

Defense Secretary Richard Marles said the inaugural patrols represent the practical implementation of the strategic partnership signed between the two countries in September.

“Australia and the Philippines are committed to creating a peaceful, secure and prosperous region, where sovereignty and agreed rules and norms are respected,” he said in a joint statement with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto C Teodoro Jr. on Saturday.

“The first maritime cooperation activity between the Australian Defense Force and the Armed Forces of the Philippines demonstrates this important commitment.”

Philippine Defense Department spokesman Arsenio Andolong said the patrols will be conducted in the West Philippine Sea, Manila’s term for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its exclusive economic zone.

The Philippine military said two of its navy ships and five surveillance planes would participate.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. praised the exercises as maintaining a rules-based international order.

“This inaugural maritime cooperative activity and the possible ones to follow are a practical manifestation of the growing and deepening strategic and defense partnership between our countries,” he said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Defense Secretary Richard Marles said the inaugural patrols represent the practical implementation of the strategic partnership signed between the two countries in September

China claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship trade, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration said in 2016 that China’s claims had no legal basis.

The Philippines is stepping up efforts to counter what it describes as China’s “aggressive activities” in the South China Sea, which has also become a flashpoint for Chinese-US tensions over naval operations.

China has accused the Philippines of using “foreign forces” to patrol the South China Sea. Manila insists its maritime activities are within its rights.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to take Australia’s relationship with the Philippines to the next level after the two countries signed closer defense and security ties.