South China Sea: Australia accuses China of dropping flares near its jet; Beijing claims intrusion

File photo (Picture source: Chinese military) Australia has accused a Chinese military aircraft of releasing flares close to its P-8A patrol jet over the South China Sea on Sunday. There was no harm to the aircraft and its personnel. China also accused the Australian jet of "illegally intruding" into China's airspace, adding that it had to be expelled. Sunday's encounter is the latest in a series of tensions between the two nations' forces in the region, where China's wide territorial claims overlap with those of neighbouring countries. In February, too, Australia accused a Chinese jet of dropping flares near its…