(Bloomberg) -- Australia’s government has expressed outrage after a Chinese fighter jet fired flares near its military helicopter, an act that risks unsettling Canberra and Beijing’s improving ties.

A People’s Liberation Army aircraft intercepted an Australian helicopter in the Yellow Sea on May 4 and “released flares along the flight path,” according to a statement from the Department of Defence on Monday. The helicopter was operating from an Australian naval vessel enforcing United Nations sanctions against North Korea, the statement said.

“The PLA air force plane dropped flares about 300 meters in front of the Seahawk helicopter and about 60 meters above it,” Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles told 9News in an interview. No Australian personnel were injured in the encounter.

The Australian government said the incident was “unprofessional” and “unacceptable.” “We’ve made clear, that view to Beijing, both through Beijing and also through Canberra,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on local radio on Tuesday morning.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

This is the second incident between the militaries of the two countries in recent months. Two Australian navy divers were injured by sonar pulses from a Chinese naval vessel in November last year, in an incident that came right after Albanese’s visit to Beijing — the first Australian leader to do so in more than seven years after bilateral relations soured.

Ties have gradually improved since Albanese came to power in 2022, with China removing punitive tariffs on wine and barley and starting to buy coal and other goods again in the past year.

Australia on Monday called on all countries including China “to operate their militaries in a professional and safe manner.”

--With assistance from Ben Westcott.

(Updates with Albanese’s comments.)

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