Australia accused China of an unprovoked act of intimidation after a Chinese navy vessel shone a laser towards an Australian military aircraft.
The incident took place when a Chinese navy vessel was sailing in the Arafura Sea and a laser beam from it illuminated a Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
The Australian Defense Force confirmed the incident in a statement and said that it jeopardized the lives of personnel on board.
The department said that acts like this have the potential to endanger lives. We strongly condemn military conduct.
If a laser is shone into someone's eyes, it can cause blindness and interfere with navigation and other systems critical to air safety.
Scott Morrison condemned the incident in televised remarks.
Morrison said that an act of intimidation, one that was unprovoked, unwarranted and Australia will never accept, was the only way to see it.
It was a reckless and irresponsible act that should not have happened.
The Chinese authorities have not commented on the incident.
Tensions have soared between Australia and China in recent years, but China is Australia's biggest trading partner.
China has been accused of interfering in domestic politics by Australia, as well as being banned from its 5G broadband network.
China has criticized Australia's involvement in US-led alliances such as the Quad and Aukus, which plan to pool military resources to strengthen deterrence against Chinese aggression.
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