Australian Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has accused China of using sonar when divers were nearby (Picture: PA)

Australia has accused the Chinese navy of injuring its divers by operating sonar while they were trying to clear fishing nets from a ship’s propellers.

The Australian government expressed its concerns to Beijing earlier this week over what it called the unsafe and unprofessional conduct.

The allegations came from Defence Minister Richard Marles in a statement on his official website.

There was no immediate comment from the Chinese side in response to the claims.

Royal Australian Navy vessel HMAS Toowoomba was involved in the latest alleged incident (Picture: Reuters)

The US, Canadian and Australian militaries have complained multiple times about what they say have been dangerous actions by the Chinese navy and air force in the western Pacific.

Analysts fear a collision or other accident could spark an international incident and escalate into conflict.

The HMAS Toowoomba stopped in international waters on Tuesday in Japan’s exclusive economic zone after fishing nets became entangled in its propellers, the defence minister’s statement said.

The naval frigate had been helping to enforce UN sanctions in the region.

As diving operations were under way, a Chinese destroyer moved toward the Australian ship and was detected operating its hull-mounted sonar in a way that posed a risk to the divers and forced them to get out of the water, the statement said.

‘The divers … sustained minor injuries likely due to being subjected to the sonar pulses from the Chinese destroyer,’ it added.

Sonar uses sound waves to obtain an image in the water. At high levels, those can cause dizziness, hearing damage other organ damage.