The complaint by Canberra about the latest Chinese military flare-up close to China’s coast is not only hypocritical but highly escalatory.

An Australian MH-60R Seahawk helicopter was 8,535km from home and flew close to China’s northeastern coasts. So a Chinese warplane shot flares to warn it off.

Suppose a Chinese military aircraft flew 8,535km to loiter off Australia’s northern coastlines, how would you think the Australian military, or for that matter, American military stationed in the vicinity, would respond?

So far, the patriotic hand-wringing of the Australian media and political class has been over the top. It would have been amusing if not for its alarming implications for regional security in Asia.

It’s unclear exactly what the Seahawk was doing in China’s neighbourhood. Various excuses have been offered by its government and the military. It was there to enforce United Nations sanctions against North Korea. It was there to help the Australian navy to exercise freedom of navigation in international waters.........

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