· In short: Defence rejects China's claim Australia was spying when a Chinese fighter dropped flares near an Australian helicopter.

· General Angus Campbell says the Australian helicopter was behaving professionally.

· What's next? General Campbell has declined to say whether he will contact his Chinese counterpart over the matter.

Beijing's claim that an Australian helicopter was attempting to spy on the Chinese military has been rejected by Defence chief Angus Campbell, who insists the Seahawk was behaving "professionally" when it was targeted by flares.

In his first comments since last weekend's military confrontation in international waters, General Campbell has hit back at suggestions the Australian military was provoking China while operating in the Yellow Sea on a UN mission.

"The incident involving our helicopter was unsafe and unprofessional," he told reporters after addressing the Air and Space Power Conference in Canberra.

Asked directly about Beijing's accusation that the Australian helicopter was launched repeatedly from HMAS Hobart to conduct "close-in reconnaissance" of training activities, General Campbell insists it was China who acted inappropriately.

"The helicopter was behaving in a correct and disciplined fashion, and I don't accept that the response was anything but unsafe and unprofessional," he said.

"I'd encourage actively all our military partners internationally throughout the world to conduct themselves in a professional and in a safe manner, and that's what I expect our people to give.

"In the circumstances that occurred we were not satisfied, and very reasonably not satisfied with regard to both safety and professionalism."

General Campbell declined to say whether he planned to directly contact his Chinese counterpart to relay Australia's concerns over the incident, which occurred in international waters off the South Korean coast.

On Monday, Defence Minister Richard Marles said a People's Liberation Army-Air Force plane had dropped flares about 300 metres in front of the Seahawk helicopter and about 60 metres above it, forcing the pilot to take urgent evasive action.

Britain's visiting Air Force Chief has suggested Australia's Defence Force should release any imagery it had of the confrontation to help call out China's "unprofessional" conduct.

During his speech, General Campbell also gave an impassioned defence of Australia's AUKUS plans for nuclear-powered submarines, telling critics to stop "cringing" about the massive project.

"We are so good at telling ourselves what we can't do," General Campbell said, while invoking past criticisms of other large endeavours such as building the Sydney Harbour Bridge or Snowy Mountains Scheme.

"I don't cringe when thinking about the defence of this nation, and I don't think anybody else should either," he told the audience of Australian and international military leaders in Canberra.