logo
Australian defence ‘can't be definitive' whether Chinese nuclear submarine is part of live-fire flotilla

Australian defence ‘can't be definitive' whether Chinese nuclear submarine is part of live-fire flotilla

The Guardian26-02-2025

Chinese warships south of Hobart appear likely to sail through the Great Australian Bight, and could be accompanied by an undetected nuclear submarine, the chief of the Australian defence force has said.
Admiral David Johnston appeared before Senate estimates on Wednesday morning, saying the ADF had been surveilling the three People's Liberation Army-Navy vessels since they split from a larger 'taskgroup' and sailed into Australian waters from southeast Asia last week.
But the defence force did not know the ships were undertaking a live-fire drill in the Tasman Sea on Friday until 30 minutes after it had begun. Defence were first notified by a civilian aircraft that was warned by the Chinese vessels when it flew within radio range. It took an hour for the New Zealand Navy, which was monitoring the Chinese vessels at the time, to notify the ADF.
The Chinese flotilla – the frigate Hengyang, the cruiser Zunyi, and a replenishment vessel Weishanhu – is currently 250km south of Hobart, inside Australia's exclusive economic zone, sailing southwest.
'The fact that they are currently south of Hobart and proceeding southwest suggests that it is more likely now that they may proceed through the Australian Bight.'
Asked to comment on reporting the ships were likely accompanied by a nuclear submarine, Johnston said he could not be categoric.
'I don't know whether there is a submarine with them. It is possible: task groups occasionally do deploy with submarines, but not always. I can't be definitive on whether that's the case.'
Johnston said the Chinese flotilla had undertaken two live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea on Friday and on Saturday. He was critical that, while the drills were conducted in international waters, and in accordance with international law, there was insufficient notice before the live-fire drills started.
But estimates confirmed that there was, in fact, no notice given, and that the Australian defence force only learned of the live fire drill half an hour after it had started, and via a pilot flying a commercial flight near to the Chinese ships.
Johnston confirmed defence was notified of the live-fire drill through AirServices Australia, which had been notified by a commercial pilot who had flown into close proximity to the vessels while the live-firing window was open.
At 9:58am on Friday morning, a Virgin commercial pilot was contacted by radio by the Chinese vessels and warned – in English – there was a live-fire drill underway.
The Virgin flight had flown within about 250 nautical miles – potentially within line of sight of the Chinese vessels – when it was warned to stay clear.
AirServices Australia issued a hazard alert within two minutes, establishing an 18km exclusion zone around the flotilla, extending to a height of 45,000 feet, at 10am.
The aviation safety agency then notified the ADF's Joint Operations Command Headquarters, 10 minutes after the initial contact from the Virgin pilot.
Twenty-minutes after the initial contact, at 10.18am, a separate commercial flight operated by Emirates was in radio contact with the Chinese warships, which informed pilots that the live firing exercise had commenced at 9.30am and would conclude at 2pm.
It was 11:01am – another hour – before the New Zealand navy, which had been shadowing the Chinese flotilla, informed Australia of the live-fire exercise through military channels, estimates heard.
Johnston said the lack of notice was potentially dangerous.
'The absence of any advance notice to Australian authorities was a concern, notably, that the limited notice provided by the PLA could have unnecessarily increased the risk to aircraft and vessels in the area,' he told estimates.
Outside of estimates, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, insisted the civilian and military notifications on the live-fire drill were contemporaneous.
'At around the same time, there were two area of notification: one was from the New Zealand vessels that were tailing … the [Chinese] vessels in the area. So that occurred and at the same time through the channels that occur when these things occur, Air Services got notified as well.'
Albanese said he had been in contact by phone with the New Zealand prime minister, Christopher Luxon, as the two navies cooperatively shadowed the Chinese vessels.
The shadow minister for defence, Andrew Hastie, told an ABC radio interview China was undertaking 'the biggest peacetime military buildup since 1945', and working to send a strong message that it is a global power.
Hastie said he believed China was 'testing US allies as Donald Trump resets relationships in Europe'.
'We're seeing a flotilla of three warships conduct live fire exercises off our coast. So we've gone from wolf warrior diplomacy to gunboat diplomacy.'
A spokesperson for defence minister Richard Marles said Australia had lodged formal complaints, both in Canberra and in Beijing, over the ships' actions.
'The Australian government has raised its concern with the lack of notice on the live- fire activity from the Chinese government, including through appropriate channels in Canberra and Beijing.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

News live: Albanese heads to Fiji talks en route to G7; authorities ‘urgently following up' whether any Australians affected by Air India crash
News live: Albanese heads to Fiji talks en route to G7; authorities ‘urgently following up' whether any Australians affected by Air India crash

The Guardian

time8 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

News live: Albanese heads to Fiji talks en route to G7; authorities ‘urgently following up' whether any Australians affected by Air India crash

Update: Date: 2025-06-12T21:23:52.000Z Title: Welcome Content: Good morning, Nick Visser here to guide you through today's breaking news. Here's what's on the cards this morning: Prime minister Anthony Albanese will leave Canberra this morning en route to the G7 meeting in Canada early next week. The trip will include stops in Fiji and the US, will all eyes on a potential sideline meeting with Donald Trump, although nothing has been confirmed. The Department of Foreign Affairs expressed condolences to those affected by the Air India crash in the city of Ahmedabad last night. The Australian high commission and consulate-general are 'urgently following up' with local authorities to determine if any Australians were impacted. Defence minister Richard Marles again downplayed the US review of the Aukus submarine deal, telling the ABC last night he believes it is 'completely appropriate' for the Trump administration to look into it. Stick with us.

US says China's Huawei can't make more than 200,000 AI chips in 2025
US says China's Huawei can't make more than 200,000 AI chips in 2025

Reuters

timean hour ago

  • Reuters

US says China's Huawei can't make more than 200,000 AI chips in 2025

WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - China's Huawei Technologies [RIC:RIC: is capable of producing no more than 200,000 advanced artificial intelligence chips in 2025, a top U.S. exports controls official told lawmakers on Thursday, warning that though the number is below the company's demand, China is quickly catching up to U.S. capabilities. Since 2019, a slew of U.S. export rules aimed at curbing China's technological and military advancements have limited access by Huawei and other Chinese firms to high-end U.S. chips and the equipment needed to produce them. The issue has become a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations. Facing those restrictions, Huawei aims to ship its Ascend 910C AI chips to Chinese customers as an alternative to those made by the United States' Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab, the global leader. "Our assessment is that Huawei Ascend chip production capacity for 2025 will be at or below 200,000 and we project that most or all of that will be delivered to companies within China," Jeffrey Kessler, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security at the Commerce Department, told a congressional hearing. Kessler said that the U.S. should not take comfort in the figure. "China is investing huge amounts to increase its AI chip production, as well as the capabilities of the chips that it produces. So, it's critical for us not to have a false sense of security, to understand that China is catching up quickly," he told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia subcommittee. White House AI Czar David Sacks said on Tuesday that China was only 3-6 months behind the U.S. in AI. The White House later said he was referring to China's AI models, adding that Chinese AI chips are one to two years behind their U.S. counterparts. Huawei's CEO Ren Zhengfei told Chinese state media on Tuesday that the company's chips were a generation behind those of U.S. competitors, but that it invests more than $25 billion annually to improve performance. Nvidia's AI chips are more powerful than Huawei's but Washington's export controls on its most sophisticated chips have caused it to lose market share. The U.S. and China reached a tentative trade truce at talks in London this week after a previous agreement faltered over China's continued curbs on minerals exports. That prompted the Trump administration to apply additional export controls on shipments of semiconductor design software, jet engines for Chinese-made planes and other goods. Democratic Representative Greg Meeks expressed concern that the Trump administration had conflated U.S. exports controls with broader discussions on trade. "What I will say is export controls have been strong and I'm confident that they will remain strong," Kessler said. Kessler said he was not planning any immediate new restrictions on U.S. semiconductors sold to China, but that the Commerce Department will "remain active in this space." "It's a constantly evolving landscape, and we need to make sure that our controls remain effective," he said.

Inspector's report into Chinese ‘mega-embassy' with ministers for final decision
Inspector's report into Chinese ‘mega-embassy' with ministers for final decision

Powys County Times

time4 hours ago

  • Powys County Times

Inspector's report into Chinese ‘mega-embassy' with ministers for final decision

A report by the planning inspector into a controversial proposal for a Chinese 'mega-embassy' in London has been submitted to ministers for final decision, Parliament has been told. Communities minister Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said a Government determination on the application would be made on or before September 9. Until then, neither the inspector's report nor its recommendation would be made public. The plans by Beijing for a super-embassy on the historic former site of the Royal Mint near the capital's financial district have sparked security concerns. Worries stem from the close proximity of the extensive development to critical data centres and communication cables. The contentious scheme comes against the backdrop of ongoing disquiet over Chinese interference in the UK, with allegations of spies infiltrating the establishment and secret police stations being used to intimidate dissidents in Britain. Unease has also previously been raised over ministerial involvement in progressing the plans, after the Metropolitan Police dropped their opposition. The embassy development was 'called in', which means Communities Secretary Angela Rayner, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, will make the final decision taking into account the inspector's findings. Updating peers at Westminster, Lady Taylor said: 'The inspector's report was received on June 10 by the department. 'Parties have been notified that a decision will be made on or before September 9 2025. 'As the report has just been received, we have not yet begun to assess the case. 'The inspector's report will form part of the final decision and will be released alongside it. 'Until that point, neither the recommendation nor the report will be made public.' She added: 'Because we now have the report, we will be considering it, it wouldn't be helpful to comment on any specific security issue raised on the application while it's under active consideration by the department.' The minister said the inspector's evidence-based recommendation would take into account a wide variety of material planning matters, which 'may include safety and national security'. Pressed over previous warnings by the head of MI5 over the 'epic scale' of Chinese espionage in the UK, Lady Taylor said: 'National security is, of course, the first duty of government, more generally. 'With regards to the specifics of the case, the inspector's report will consider the application against all of the national issues, local issues and regional issues, according to planning policy, and safety and national security will be taken into consideration, to make sure that we have considered fully all of the issues that may relate to this planning application.' She added: 'It's difficult to answer general questions about the relationship with China and talk about that in the same space as a planning decision, which has to be taken according to a fixed process. 'But please be assured that national security is (something) we very strongly consider to be our first duty.' Independent crossbencher Lord Alton of Liverpool, who has been banned by Beijing over his criticism of its human rights record, including its treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority, said: 'It's hard to imagine that if in 1980 the former Soviet Union had asked for a prime site for a new mega-embassy that we in Parliament would have agreed at that time.' Responding, Lady Taylor said: 'The Government stands firm on human rights, including against China's repression of the people of Xinjiang and Tibet.' On the plans for the embassy, she added: 'All material planning considerations will be taken into account in determining the case.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store