Australia's accusation that a Chinese naval vessel shone a laser at one of its warplanes is "not true," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday. 

Answering a question about the claim at a regular press briefing, Wang urged Australia to stop maliciously spreading false information about China. 

Australia alleged on Saturday that a laser from a Chinese naval vessel was shone at one of its maritime patrol aircraft on Thursday while the plane flew over the country's northern approaches.

Wang told reporters that the accusation was "not true" according to information provided by the relevant Chinese department. "The Chinese vessel was sailing normally in the high seas, which was in line with relevant international laws and practices and perfectly legitimate," he said. 

The spokesperson urged Australia to respect the legitimate rights of Chinese vessels in accordance with international laws.

'Malicious provocations'

Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, also refuted Australia's accusation on Monday, describing it as "completely false." 

In a written response, Tan said an Australian P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft on Thursday flew in the airspace near a Chinese fleet. The aircraft came as close as four kilometers from the fleet, he added. 

The fleet's operations during the encounter were "safe, normal and professional" and in line with relevant international laws and practices, he said.

The ministry published two photos taken from the fleet on its website. Tan said the photos show that the Australian plane was very close and that it dropped a sonobuoy near the fleet.

"Malicious provocations like this can easily lead to misunderstanding and misjudgment, and thus threaten the safety of personnel on the fleet and the aircraft from both sides," he said. 

Tan urged Australia to stop such "provocative, dangerous behaviors" immediately and stop groundless accusations against China.