Chinese navy ships round out Australian circuit with sail past base hosting US submarine
A Chinese naval fleet led by the
Type 055 destroyer Zunyi is nearing the completion of its
unprecedented circumnavigation of Australia , which included sailing near a strategically sensitive defence facility off Western Australia.
Advertisement
The Australian Defence Force said on Thursday morning the flotilla was 630 nautical miles (1,166km) northwest of Perth. It was the ninth official update
since Tuesday last week and was accompanied by surveillance images taken on Monday. Analysts suggest the warships may soon transit through the Sunda Strait, marking their return to the South China Sea.
Some analysts said the Zunyi task group's passage near Australia went beyond military posturing, with the presence of People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy warships near Perth carrying intelligence-gathering implications.
01:39
China says Fujian carrier is world's largest conventionally powered warship
China says Fujian carrier is world's largest conventionally powered warship
The task group, which also includes a frigate and a replenishment vessel, has been closely monitored by Australian defence assets.
The warships arrived near Perth as the US and Australia cooperate under the Aukus defence pact. The US Navy's attack submarine USS Minnesota has been docked HMAS Stirling naval base since last month, likely for nuclear submarine training and operational coordination between the two allies.
Aukus, a trilateral security alliance between Australia, the UK and US, was established in September 2021 and will equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. The pact is framed as a measure to strengthen deterrence and promote a 'free and open Indo-Pacific'.
Advertisement
The Chinese deployment marks one of the most significant PLA Navy operations near Australian waters, with the warships sailing closer to the country's shores than before.
The ADF reported that the trio was 170 nautical miles (314 kilometres) south-southwest of Perth on Tuesday, but some media outlets calculated that it was as close as 50-60 nautical miles.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
7 hours ago
- RTHK
LA protests spark HK and Chinese consulate warnings
LA protests spark HK and Chinese consulate warnings A Waymo vehicle burns after being set on fire in Los Angeles. Photo: AFP The Hong Kong government has reminded residents who are already in the United States or intend to visit the country to pay attention to personal safety in view of the ongoing protests and riots there. "The government reminds residents who intend to visit the United Stated or are already there to monitor the local situation, exercise caution, attend to personal safety, avoid large gatherings of people, and pay attention to local announcements on the latest situation," a spokesman said. The Security Bureau will continue to closely monitor the situation there. Meanwhile, the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles told the country's citizens in the area to strengthen personal security amid unrest in America's second-biggest city. "Chinese citizens in the region [should] strengthen personal security measures, stay away from gatherings, crowded areas, or places with poor public security, and avoid going out at night or travelling alone," the consulate said in a statement. They should also closely monitor official announcements and raise their safety awareness, it added. The warning came as Los Angeles police ordered the public to disperse from the downtown area after further unrest, with cars torched and security forces firing tear gas at protesters, in the wake of US President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to the city. (Additional reporting by AFP)
HKFP
9 hours ago
- HKFP
Chinese aircraft carrier enters Japan's economic waters, Tokyo says
A Chinese aircraft carrier group entered Japan's economic waters over the weekend, before exiting to conduct drills involving fighter jets, Tokyo's defence ministry said Monday. The Liaoning carrier, two missile destroyers and one fast combat supply ship sailed around 300 kilometres (190 miles) southwest of Japan's easternmost island of Minamitori on Saturday, a ministry statement said. It was the first time a Chinese aircraft carrier had entered that part of Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a Japanese defence ministry spokesman told AFP. 'We think the Chinese military is trying to improve its operational capability and ability to conduct operations in distant areas,' the spokesman said. China's growing military clout and use of naval and air assets to press disputed territorial claims have rattled the United States and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region. Tokyo's chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Monday that the government had 'conveyed an appropriate message to the Chinese side' without saying it had lodged a formal protest. After the Liaoning and its accompanying vessels exited Japan's EEZ, fighter jets and helicopters conducted take-offs and landings on Sunday, the ministry statement said. Japan deployed its warship Haguro to the area to monitor the situation, it added. Last month, the Liaoning sailed between two southern Japanese islands within the EEZ, from the East China Sea into the Pacific while conducting take-offs and landings on deck, the ministry said. The carrier in September last year sailed between two Japanese islands near Taiwan and entered Japan's contiguous waters, an area up to 24 nautical miles from its coast. At the time Tokyo called the move 'unacceptable' and expressed 'serious concerns' to Beijing. Under international law, a state has rights to the management of natural resources and other economic activities within its EEZ, which is within 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) of its coastline. Late last month, Tokyo accused Beijing of conducting unnotified maritime scientific research within its EEZ, near the remote Pacific atoll of Okinotori.
Asia Times
9 hours ago
- Asia Times
Taiwan's de-sinicization drive as geostrategic leverage
In an era where US-China tensions run high but full decoupling is unfeasible, Washington must seek new low-cost diplomatic tools. One such tool may lie in an unexpected domain: Taiwan's internal cultural policies. Specifically, the island's ongoing de-sinicization campaign—while locally motivated—has inadvertently become a geopolitical irritant, escalating Beijing's threat perception. This article proposes that the US quietly explore the recalibration of Taiwan's de-Sinicization policies as a symbolic, non-security concession in broader negotiations with Beijing. Such a move could provide a controlled way to reduce tensions while preserving America's core commitments to Taiwan's security and democracy. Since the early 2000s, Taiwan has taken deliberate steps to shift its cultural identity away from China. Curriculum changes, altered national symbols, and linguistic prioritization form part of a longer campaign to assert a distinct Taiwanese identity. While understandable domestically, these measures have consistently provoked sharp reactions from Beijing, feeding its narrative of Taiwan's irreversible drift toward independence. For the United States, de-Sinicization poses a strategic paradox. On the one hand, it reflects democratic agency. On the other, it may undercut regional stability by giving Beijing a perceived justification to escalate. Importantly, Taiwan's cultural trajectory does not directly impact US national security priorities such as freedom of navigation, semiconductor supply chains or military deterrence. Therefore, Washington could — discreetly — signal to Taipei that a soft pause or reframing of the de-Sinicization drive could serve broader strategic goals. This could manifest as a period of 'consolidation' rather than reversal, buying time to focus on national resilience, defense and external alignment. Such a move would not require a formal public endorsement. Instead, it could surface through Track II dialogues, think tank publications or behind-the-scenes diplomatic conversations. Allies like Japan or South Korea could reinforce this approach by advocating for cultural moderation as a path to regional confidence-building. This approach offers several advantages. It provides the US a symbolic concession to offer in potential high-level US-China discussions without undermining core deterrence postures. It demonstrates to Beijing that the US-Taiwan relationship is not driven by ideological maximalism. And it reinforces Washington's image as a responsible power seeking balance, not confrontation, in the Indo-Pacific. Public emotion variable While most Western observers tend to focus on the Chinese government's calculated use of nationalism, what is often overlooked is that the Chinese state itself is restrained by popular nationalist sentiment, especially on issues like Taiwan. On matters of cultural sovereignty and national unity, it is often the Chinese public—not the leadership—that demands hardline responses. This dynamic creates a powerful incentive for Beijing to avoid appearing 'weak' in the face of perceived provocations, even when the government itself may prefer strategic patience. In this context, Taiwan's highly visible cultural distancing from China—through language reforms, educational shifts, and symbolic removals—acts as a flashpoint that fuels public anger more than elite strategic concern. Therefore, if Taiwan were to partially moderate or reframe its de-Sinicization policies—emphasizing cultural heritage, continuity or mutual historical roots—it could significantly lower emotional hostility among the Chinese populace. Such a change would reduce the pressure on Beijing to escalate or retaliate and empower more flexible policy responses. For Washington, this presents a critical window: by encouraging symbolic de-escalation in the cultural sphere, the US can indirectly calm Chinese domestic sentiment, giving the central leadership more room to maneuver diplomatically without being seen as capitulating. In short, strategic signaling toward Beijing doesn't only happen through naval deployments or economic tools—it can also take shape in how narratives of culture and identity are modulated. By understanding and leveraging the emotional logic of Chinese public nationalism, Washington may gain more influence in managing the Taiwan issue than through deterrence alone. L. Y. Chu is a retired engineer and independent analyst focused on cross-strait relations, US-China strategy and the role of cultural signaling in geopolitical competition.
