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Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How Chinese warships encircled Australia – without Canberra even noticing
It was a Virgin Australia pilot who first raised the alarm. At 9.58am on Friday Feb 21, the pilot intercepted a warning from the Chinese navy: a flotilla of warships were conducting live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea, some 300 nautical miles off the eastern coast of Australia. The message – broadcast on the 121.5 MHz emergency radio channel used by commercial pilots to communicate – was relayed to the air traffic controller, who then passed it to the military. 'At that stage we didn't know whether it was a potential hoax or real,' Peter Curran, deputy chief executive of Airservices Australia, told a parliamentary hearing this week. But the message was not a hoax. In a highly unusual move, three Chinese naval vessels dubbed Task Group 107 – including a Jiangkai-class frigate, a Renhai-class cruiser and a Fuchi-class replenishment vessel – were conducting exercises in Australia's exclusive economic zone. This area is beyond Australia's territorial waters, but it has exclusive economic rights. To avoid any incidents, 49 flights were diverted. Canberra is in a difficult position as it is keen not to damage improved diplomatic relations. Australia was hit hard by trade restrictions when it led the Five Eyes alliance to ban Huawei, the Chinese tech corporation, and later when it called for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Although Australia has rebuked Beijing for providing such short notice, the government stressed the naval exercises were not illegal. China has countered that all criticism is 'deliberately overhyped'. But a week after the first exercises, as details drip out in senate hearings and the warships continue to circumvent Australia, the saga is continuing to dominate headlines Down Under. And it has raised critical, uncomfortable questions. What were China's intentions? Are Australia or New Zealand prepared to counter the Asian superpower? On the first point, analysts say that Beijing was delivering a message: we are a great military power. Veerle Nouwens, executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia, told The Telegraph that the live-fire exercises were a sign not just to Australia, but also to the US and its allies, that 'China is capable of deploying at distance'. 'It's a sign that China's military capabilities shouldn't be underestimated,' Ms Nouwens said. He added that China is showing that 'its ambitions over the past 10 years to evolve into a blue-water navy is coming to fruition'. Beijing has certainly transformed its capacity at sea in the last decade. In 2015, its navy battle force stood at 255 vessels, according to the US Congressional Research Office – by 2025, that figure had jumped to 400. 'The growth and modernisation of China's navy has gone hand-in-hand with an increasingly expeditionary strategy,' said Jennifer Parker, a former principal warfare officer in the Royal Australian Navy. Writing in the Australian Financial Review, she said: 'Chinese naval deployments to the Indian and Pacific oceans are on the rise, marked by the establishment of a naval base in Djibouti in 2017 and increasingly common Pacific port visits, including stops in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea as well as hospital ship deployments to the South Pacific. 'Against this backdrop, Australia shouldn't be shocked to see a Chinese navy task group off our east coast. 'It's rightly considered an uncommon occurrence, particularly since Australia's east coast isn't exactly on the way to anywhere … but we should expect it to become increasingly common.' But China's actions are likely also a 'symbolic gesture of 'equal treatment'', according to Ms Nouwens. Amid the mounting battle for influence in the Indo-Pacific, Beijing may want to remind the US and its allies: if you poke us in our backyard, we'll poke you back. China considers both the Taiwan Strait and large chunks of the South China Sea as its own territorial waters. 'China likely wants to signal that if Australia and others can sail through and conduct exercises in what China considers its waters and neighbourhood, then China will do the same,' Ms Nouwens said. 'Australia and New Zealand continue to engage in and build their defence partnerships in the Asia-Pacific through diplomacy and exercises. 'This has included the South China Sea, while New Zealand made its first naval transit through the Taiwan Strait in seven years in October last year together with Australia. 'China often views these with suspicion, and sees them as confrontational and symbolic of part of wider US competition with China.' Still, she added that it is significant that Beijing conducted the drills in the exclusive economic zone. It suggests the live-fire drills and long trek south were a show of strength, not an attempt to escalate. Events over the past week were also an important test of how prepared Australia and New Zealand are to respond to Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. According to Matthew Knot, The Sydney Herald's national security correspondent, 'the results so far look like a failure'. He argued that Anthony Albanese, Australia's prime minister, downplayed the situation, while both the Australian Defence Force and the New Zealand Navy initially missed that the exercise was even happening. Others have stressed that overreacting could be counterproductive, potentially undermining arguments used by the US and its allies around access to waters such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Australia has also recently stabilised diplomatic relations with China, allowing the resumption of trade of goods including wine, beer and barley – a popular policy Mr Albanese will not want to jeopardise. But analysts said this should not be a 'straitjacket' that prevents criticism of Beijing. However, an uncomfortable truth should not be ignored: Australia's core vulnerabilities lie at sea. Australia's navy has just 16 battle force vessels, 'its smallest and oldest in decades' after 'underinvestment by successive governments'. 'In a crisis or conflict, an adversary wouldn't need to invade our shores to bring Australia's economy – and by extension, our defence– to its knees,' said Ms Parker. 'All it would have to do would be to cut off our critical seaborne supplies.' She added that Australia cannot hope to match China's naval might, and its security should continue to rely on strong alliances and partnerships. But even so, the country is coming up short. Ms Parker said: 'China's naval demonstration on Australia's east coast should serve a reminder of our vulnerability, and a warning that addressing this vulnerability requires Australia to truly recognise its place as a maritime power.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
How Chinese warships encircled Australia
It was a Virgin Australia pilot who first raised the alarm. At 9.58am on Friday Feb 21, the pilot intercepted a warning from the Chinese navy: a flotilla of warships were conducting live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea, some 300 nautical miles off the eastern coast of Australia. The message – broadcast on the 121.5 MHz emergency radio channel used by commercial pilots to communicate – was relayed to the air traffic controller, who then passed it to the military. 'At that stage we didn't know whether it was a potential hoax or real,' Peter Curran, deputy chief executive of Airservices Australia, told a parliamentary hearing this week. But the message was not a hoax. In a highly unusual move, three Chinese naval vessels dubbed Task Group 107 – including a Jiangkai-class frigate, a Renhai-class cruiser and a Fuchi-class replenishment vessel – were conducting exercises in Australia's exclusive economic zone. This area is beyond Australia's territorial waters, but it has exclusive economic rights. To avoid any incidents, 49 flights were diverted. Canberra is in a difficult position as it is keen not to damage improved diplomatic relations. Australia was hit hard by trade restrictions when it led the Five Eyes alliance to ban Huawei, the Chinese tech corporation, and later when it called for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Although Australia has rebuked Beijing for providing such short notice, the government stressed the naval exercises were not illegal. China has countered that all criticism is 'deliberately overhyped'. But a week after the first exercises, as details drip out in senate hearings and the warships continue to circumnavigate Australia, the saga is continuing to dominate headlines Down Under. And it has raised critical, uncomfortable questions. What were China's intentions? Are Australia or New Zealand prepared to counter the Asian superpower? 'Shouldn't be shocked' On the first point, analysts say that Beijing was delivering a message: we are a great military power. Veerle Nouwens, executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia, told The Telegraph that the live-fire exercises were a sign not just to Australia, but also to the US and its allies, that 'China is capable of deploying at distance'. 'It's a sign that China's military capabilities shouldn't be underestimated,' Ms Nouwens said. He added that China is showing that 'its ambitions over the past 10 years to evolve into a blue-water navy is coming to fruition'. Beijing has certainly transformed its capacity at sea in the last decade. In 2015, its navy battle force stood at 255 vessels, according to the US Congressional Research Office – by 2025, that figure had jumped to 400. 'The growth and modernisation of China's navy has gone hand-in-hand with an increasingly expeditionary strategy,' said Jennifer Parker, a former principal warfare officer in the Royal Australian Navy. Writing in the Australian Financial Review, she said: 'Chinese naval deployments to the Indian and Pacific oceans are on the rise, marked by the establishment of a naval base in Djibouti in 2017 and increasingly common Pacific port visits, including stops in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea as well as hospital ship deployments to the South Pacific. 'Against this backdrop, Australia shouldn't be shocked to see a Chinese navy task group off our east coast. 'It's rightly considered an uncommon occurrence, particularly since Australia's east coast isn't exactly on the way to anywhere … but we should expect it to become increasingly common.' A show of strength But China's actions are likely also a 'symbolic gesture of 'equal treatment'', according to Ms Nouwens. Amid the mounting battle for influence in the Indo-Pacific, Beijing may want to remind the US and its allies: if you poke us in our backyard, we'll poke you back. China considers both the Taiwan Strait and large chunks of the South China Sea as its own territorial waters. 'China likely wants to signal that if Australia and others can sail through and conduct exercises in what China considers its waters and neighbourhood, then China will do the same,' Ms Nouwens said. 'Australia and New Zealand continue to engage in and build their defence partnerships in the Asia-Pacific through diplomacy and exercises. 'This has included the South China Sea, while New Zealand made its first naval transit through the Taiwan Strait in seven years in October last year together with Australia. 'China often views these with suspicion, and sees them as confrontational and symbolic of part of wider US competition with China.' Still, she added that it is significant that Beijing conducted the drills in the exclusive economic zone. It suggests the live-fire drills and long trek south were a show of strength, not an attempt to escalate. Trade becoming a 'straitjacket' Events over the past week were also an important test of how prepared Australia and New Zealand are to respond to Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. According to Matthew Knot, The Sydney Herald's national security correspondent, 'the results so far look like a failure'. He argued that Anthony Albanese, Australia's prime minister, downplayed the situation, while both the Australian Defence Force and the New Zealand Navy initially missed that the exercise was even happening. Others have stressed that overreacting could be counterproductive, potentially undermining arguments used by the US and its allies around access to waters such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Australia has also recently stabilised diplomatic relations with China, allowing the resumption of trade of goods including wine, beer and barley – a popular policy Mr Albanese will not want to jeopardise. But analysts said this should not be a 'straitjacket' that prevents criticism of Beijing. However, an uncomfortable truth should not be ignored: Australia's core vulnerabilities lie at sea. Australia's navy has just 16 battle force vessels, 'its smallest and oldest in decades' after 'underinvestment by successive governments'. 'In a crisis or conflict, an adversary wouldn't need to invade our shores to bring Australia's economy – and by extension, our defence– to its knees,' said Ms Parker. 'All it would have to do would be to cut off our critical seaborne supplies.' She added that Australia cannot hope to match China's naval might, and its security should continue to rely on strong alliances and partnerships. But even so, the country is coming up short. Ms Parker said: 'China's naval demonstration on Australia's east coast should serve a reminder of our vulnerability, and a warning that addressing this vulnerability requires Australia to truly recognise its place as a maritime power.'
Asia Times
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Asia Times
China's live-fire flex shows Australia is no naval match
Over the past few days, the Australian media has been dominated by the activities of the Chinese navy's Task Group 107 as it has progressed south along the Australian coast and conducted a series of live-fire exercises. Much of the discussion has been rather breathless in nature, with accusations of 'gunboat diplomacy' being bandied around. The live-fire exercises have also dominated the Australian political debate. Amid all the accusations, the fact that these exercises are routine and entirely legal has gotten lost. The Australian government was correct to lodge a complaint with its Chinese counterpart when one of these exercises disrupted civilian aviation. But the overall response has been an extraordinary overreaction. There is no indication the Chinese vessels undertook any surface-to-air exercises, and it remains unclear whether the initial firings involved medium-caliber weapons or smaller arms. Either way, the facts suggest the disruption from the Chinese vessels was caused by inexperience or poor procedure, rather than some more nefarious purpose. This is not to suggest the People's Liberation Army-Navy's (PLA-N) deployment is unimportant, but as happens all too often, the Australian public debate is missing the wood for the trees. While a number of retired naval officers have publicly played down the significance of the live-fire exercises, these voices have generally been drowned out by the politicization of the issue. This highlights the failure of the Department of Defence to communicate effectively to the public. In other countries, including the United States, senior officers are given far more leeway to make public statements in matters within their purview. Had Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, the chief of navy, or Vice Admiral Justin Jones, the chief of Joint Operations, been empowered to explain how live-fire exercises are routine and are commonly carried out by Australian warships on deployment in our region, we may have avoided this unhelpful stoush. Maritime muscle The real significance of the activities of Task Group 107 is the way it has revealed the very different trajectories of the PLA-N and its Royal Australian Navy counterpart. The task group is made up of a Type 055 Renhai-class cruiser, a Type 054A Jiangkai II frigate and a Type 903 Fuchi-class replenishment ship. This is a powerful force that symbolizes the rapid development of the Chinese navy. The Renhai-class cruisers are acknowledged to be some of the most capable surface combatants currently in operation. They are 13,000 tonnes in size and are armed with 112 vertical-launch system (VLS) missile tubes. The Australian navy's premier surface warship, the Hobart-class destroyer, is just 7,000 tonnes and has 48 VLS missile cells. These are very crude metrics, but it would be foolhardy to assume Chinese technology is dramatically inferior to that of Australia or its allies. Similarly, China's Type 054A frigates are comparable to the general-purpose frigates that Australia is currently trying to acquire. Since 2020, China has commissioned eight Type 055 cruisers, adding to a fleet of more than 30 Type 52C and Type 52D destroyers and an even greater number of Type 054A frigates. This build-up vastly exceeds that of any other navy globally. Chinese shipyards are churning out the same combat power of the entire Royal Australian Navy every couple of years. Until recently, we have seen remarkably little of this naval capability in our region. A PLA-N task force operated off the northeast coast of Australia in 2022. Last year, a similar force was in the South Pacific. Most analysts expect to see more Chinese vessels in Australia's region over the coming years. One significant limitation on Chinese overseas deployments has been the PLA-N's small force of replenishment ships, which resupply naval vessels at sea. As the PLA-N's capabilities continue to grow and priorities shift, this appears to be changing. A recent US Department of Defence report noted that China was expected to build further replenishment ships 'to support its expanding long-duration combatant ship deployments.' Struggling to keep pace In response to the Chinese build-up, Australia is investing heavily to rebuild its navy. However, this process has been slow and beset by problems. Indeed, this week, the Defence Department revealed that the selection of the design for the new Australian frigate has been postponed into 2026. This leaves the navy with a limited fleet of just 10 surface combatants, the majority of which are small and ageing Anzac-class frigates. The arrival of the Chinese task group also sheds an unfavorable light on other recent decisions. The cuts to the Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel program make sense from some perspectives. But these ships would have provided additional options to persistently shadow foreign warships in Australian areas of interest. Similarly, the growing need of Australian ships to escort Chinese vessels in our region will place an increasing strain on Australian replenishment capability. At present, both of Australia's resupply ships are out of service. Additional capacity was also cut from the recent defence budget. The activities of the Chinese task force are not some aggressive move of gunboat diplomacy in our region. In many ways, this sensationalist messaging has distracted from a much bigger issue. The presence of Chinese naval ships in our region is going to be a fact of life. And due to failures from both sides of politics over the past 15 years, Australia's navy is ill-equipped to meet that challenge. Richard Dunley is senior lecturer in history and maritime strategy, UNSW Sydney This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
No reason for China to apologise to Australia for live-fire drills, ambassador says
China doesn't even need to 'think' about apologising over the way it notified Australia about live-fire naval drills off the Australian coast, the country's ambassador says. Xiao Qian told the ABC the drills last Friday and Saturday posed 'no threat' to Australia and were 'a normal kind of practice for many navies in the world'. He said the notification of the drills had followed normal international practice, despite Australian authorities first becoming aware of them after they began, from a passing Virgin pilot. 'There should be no over-reading into this,' the ambassador said, insisting Australia and China were 'comprehensive strategic partners'. A readout of the interview, published on the Chinese embassy website, said: 'The term 'partner' indicates that the two countries are friends, not foes or rivals. China has always regarded Australia as an important partner, and there is no need for Australia to feel concerned about the actions of the Chinese fleet.' Australian defence officials told Senate estimates this week the first that Australia learned of the live-fire exercises, which took place 340 nautical miles off the NSW south coast, was when they were notified via a civilian pilot flying a Virgin commercial passenger jet near to the Chinese naval vessels. The pilot heard a warning broadcast by the ships themselves that they were undertaking live-fire. That warning was relayed back to Australia, coming some time before a similar notification from a New Zealand navy vessel that was shadowing the flotilla. Related: A murky picture has emerged over China's live-fire drills. Who knew what when? The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, said, given the potential danger and the disruption to commercial aviation – nearly 50 flights were diverted – the notification given by the Chinese navy was insufficient. Wong said she had told her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, the conduct of the drills 'did not meet our expectations and was of deep concern'. But Xiao rejected this. 'Different countries have a different practice and, based on the nature of the drill, size of the drill and the scope of the drill, my view is that the Chinese naval certification advice was appropriate.' He said international law was silent about the precise timing and nature of advance warning on naval exercises. 'I don't see there's any reason why the Chinese side should feel sorry about that, or even to think about to apologise for that,' he said. Both China and Australia confirmed this week that the Chinese naval drills were conducted in international waters and in accordance with international law.A three-ship flotilla – comprising the Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai-class cruiser Zunyi and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu – sailed from Australia's north down the east coast – reportedly sailing as close as 150nm from Sydney – before undertaking live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea on Friday and Saturday. The ships – which are possibly accompanied by an undetected nuclear submarine, Australia's defence chief has said – have since sailed farther south and west and entered the Great Australian Bight. Australia's defence minister, Richard Marles, has urged calm, saying 'it's really important that we take a deep breath here'. He emphasised the Chinese ships' adherence to international law, and pointed out the frequency of Australian navy ships sailing close to China's shores – including through the contested South China Sea. 'There is actually a greater frequency of Australian naval vessels closer to China than there are Chinese vessels close to Australia,' he said. Labor minister Murray Watt said on Friday morning Australia was 'not happy that China did not give advance warning' of the live-fire drills. 'The bottom line is that China should have given us more notice.' Xiao insisted China did not 'pose a threat to Australia', saying the countries were, and would remain, 'comprehensive strategic partners'. In the interview readout posted online, the Chinese ambassador rejected any link between the naval flotilla sailing down Australia's east coast and an incident between Australian and Chinese aircraft over the South China Sea earlier this month. On 11 February, a Chinese PLA-AF J-16 fighter aircraft released flares near an Australian P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft as it was flying what Australia has said was a 'routine maritime surveillance patrol in the South China Sea'. Australia described it as 'an unsafe and unprofessional manoeuvre'. Xiao said the air and sea matters were 'entirely different in nature', and blamed Australia for the air incident. 'The Australian military aircraft intruded into China's airspace, which is a serious violation of international law and undermines China's national security. However, the Chinese naval exercise took place in high seas far from Australia's coastline and aligns with international law.'
The Guardian
28-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
No reason for China to apologise to Australia for live-fire drills, ambassador says
China doesn't even need to 'think' about apologising over the way it notified Australia about live-fire naval drills off the Australian coast, the country's ambassador says. Xiao Qian told the ABC the drills last Friday and Saturday posed 'no threat' to Australia and were 'a normal kind of practice for many navies in the world'. He said the notification of the drills had followed normal international practice, despite Australian authorities first becoming aware of them after they began, from a passing Virgin pilot. 'There should be no over-reading into this,' the ambassador said, insisting Australia and China were 'comprehensive strategic partners'. A readout of the interview, published on the Chinese embassy website, said: 'The term 'partner' indicates that the two countries are friends, not foes or rivals. China has always regarded Australia as an important partner, and there is no need for Australia to feel concerned about the actions of the Chinese fleet.' Australian defence officials told Senate estimates this week the first that Australia learned of the live-fire exercises, which took place 340 nautical miles off the NSW south coast, was when they were notified via a civilian pilot flying a Virgin commercial passenger jet near to the Chinese naval vessels. The pilot heard a warning broadcast by the ships themselves that they were undertaking live-fire. That warning was relayed back to Australia, coming some time before a similar notification from a New Zealand navy vessel that was shadowing the flotilla. The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, said, given the potential danger and the disruption to commercial aviation – nearly 50 flights were diverted – the notification given by the Chinese navy was insufficient. Wong said she had told her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, the conduct of the drills 'did not meet our expectations and was of deep concern'. But Xiao rejected this. 'Different countries have a different practice and, based on the nature of the drill, size of the drill and the scope of the drill, my view is that the Chinese naval certification advice was appropriate.' He said international law was silent about the precise timing and nature of advance warning on naval exercises. 'I don't see there's any reason why the Chinese side should feel sorry about that, or even to think about to apologise for that,' he said. Both China and Australia confirmed this week that the Chinese naval drills were conducted in international waters and in accordance with international law. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email A three-ship flotilla – comprising the Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai-class cruiser Zunyi and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu – sailed from Australia's north down the east coast – reportedly sailing as close as 150nm from Sydney – before undertaking live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea on Friday and Saturday. The ships – which are possibly accompanied by an undetected nuclear submarine, Australia's defence chief has said – have since sailed farther south and west and entered the Great Australian Bight. Australia's defence minister, Richard Marles, has urged calm, saying 'it's really important that we take a deep breath here'. He emphasised the Chinese ships' adherence to international law, and pointed out the frequency of Australian navy ships sailing close to China's shores – including through the contested South China Sea. 'There is actually a greater frequency of Australian naval vessels closer to China than there are Chinese vessels close to Australia,' he said. Labor minister Murray Watt said on Friday morning Australia was 'not happy that China did not give advance warning' of the live-fire drills. 'The bottom line is that China should have given us more notice.' Xiao insisted China did not 'pose a threat to Australia', saying the countries were, and would remain, 'comprehensive strategic partners'. In the interview readout posted online, the Chinese ambassador rejected any link between the naval flotilla sailing down Australia's east coast and an incident between Australian and Chinese aircraft over the South China Sea earlier this month. On 11 February, a Chinese PLA-AF J-16 fighter aircraft released flares near an Australian P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft as it was flying what Australia has said was a 'routine maritime surveillance patrol in the South China Sea'. Australia described it as 'an unsafe and unprofessional manoeuvre'. Xiao said the air and sea matters were 'entirely different in nature', and blamed Australia for the air incident. 'The Australian military aircraft intruded into China's airspace, which is a serious violation of international law and undermines China's national security. However, the Chinese naval exercise took place in high seas far from Australia's coastline and aligns with international law.'
