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By Ryan Chan
China News Reporter
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Newsweek's map shows how a Chinese flotilla traveled to the South Pacific Ocean from the country's southern coast for drills near two United States allies.
"The Australian Government has raised its concern with the lack of notice on the live fire activity from the Chinese Government," the Australian Department of Defense told Newsweek.
The Chinese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment. Newsweek has emailed the New Zealand Defense Force for comment.
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Why It Matters
The Chinese navy, which is the world's largest by hull count with over 370 vessels, has expanded its global reach and presence to challenge U.S. naval dominance. A Chinese three-ship fleet recently deployed for 339 days and operated in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
The "unusual" and "significant" presence of the Chinese naval vessels in the Tasman Sea, a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, has alarmed both Australia and New Zealand, members of the America-led intelligence-sharing alliance, the Five Eyes.
What To Know
The Australian Defense Force first reported the presence of the Chinese destroyer CNS Zunyi, frigate CNS Hengyang, and replenishment vessel CNS Weishanhu on February 13, when they were spotted operating in the Coral Sea off the northeast coast of Australia.
The Chinese flotilla sailed to the south and arrived in the Tasman Sea 150 nautical miles east of Sydney, on Australia's east coast, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. It was outside Australia's territorial waters that extend 12 nautical miles from its shores.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said the Chinese ships were 340 nautical miles southeast of Sydney on Friday. The Australian military was notified by the Chinese navy earlier in the day of plans to hold a live-fire exercise, according to The Guardian.
However, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles told ABC that China did not notify Australia of the drills. The Chinese notification was about its intention of engaging in live fire and was picked up by commercial planes flying across the Tasman Sea, he explained.
ABC also reported that the Chinese naval task group deployed a floating target, but did not fire on it. The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that the country's Southern Theatre Command held a "far seas exercise" and had acted in accordance with international law.
The Chinese naval drills have prompted airlines to divert flights, avoiding the airspace around the Chinese ships. An Emirates flight flying from Sydney to Christchurch in New Zealand was warned by the Chinese navy to avoid the airspace, ABC added.
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The Australian government has asked China for additional information on the drills and plans for any further exercises through defense attaches in Canberra and Beijing, The Guardian said. New Zealand also deployed a naval ship to observe the Chinese flotilla.
The Chinese Southern Theater Command Navy, which is based at Zhanjiang in South China, deployed three ships earlier this month. They passed through the Philippines' Mindoro Strait and the Basilan Strait from the South China Sea and headed southward.
The Zunyi, the Hengyang, and the Weishanhu conducted a "far-sea combat drill" in the Pacific Ocean, testing combat readiness and coordination, Chinese state media reported after the transit passage in the Philippine straits and prior to their arrival near Australia.
All three Chinese ships are assigned to the Southern Theater Command Navy, or the South Sea Fleet. According to Google Maps, the straight-line distance between Zhanjiang and the latest reported location of the Chinese flotilla in the Tasman Sea is over 4,300 nautical miles
What People Are Saying
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "This [China's naval presence] is activity that has occurred in waters consistent with international law. There has been no risk of danger to any Australian assets or New Zealand assets."
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said: "We will be discussing this with the Chinese and we already have at official level in relation to the notice given and the transparency provided in relation to these exercises, particularly the live fire exercises."
A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Defense told Newsweek: "The process undertaken by the [People's Liberation Army Navy] to inform of the live fire activity was conducted in accordance with applicable international law conventions...However, to minimize disruption to aircraft and vessels, best practice is the establishment of Notice to Airmen or Notice to Mariners, which the Australian Defense Force would typically release 24 to 48 hours prior to a live firing activity on the high seas."
Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said: "The drill was carried out in a safe, standard and professional manner in accordance with the relevant international law and international practice."
Steve Cornell, vice president of the Australian and International Pilots Association, said: "That being said, it's a big bit of ocean and you would think that they [Chinese naval vessels] could have parked somewhere less inconvenient whilst they flexed their muscles."
Alex Luck, Australia-based naval analyst, told Newsweek: "With a fleet that has grown substantially in recent years, [People's Liberation Army Navy] can now afford to conduct longer ranged deployments in multiple directions at the same time, while maintaining a clear operational focus on their near seas … we're seeing a new normal here with China underscoring a naval presence further abroad."
What Happens Next
"We're now beginning to see a more frequent presence of [Chinese combatant ships], emphasizing the 'far sea' operational rationale similar to previous cruises into the central Pacific Ocean," said Alex Luck in an email to Newsweek.
Update 02/21/25, 08:51 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from a spokesperson for the Australian Department of Defense.
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