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The Guardian
27-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Penny Wong accuses Coalition of ‘gunboat diplomacy' in Senate estimates as Chinese warships sail into Great Australian Bight
Three Chinese warships have sailed west into the Great Australian Bight, as Penny Wong accuses the Coalition of deliberately stirring controversy over live-fire drills that the flotilla conducted last week in the Tasman Sea. During a fractious Senate estimates hearing Thursday morning, the foreign affairs minister accused the shadow home affairs spokesperson, James Paterson, of ignoring national security in favour of spearheading a 'political attack' on the government. Wong condemned the politicisation of the issue domestically, saying some politicians 'seem to be insinuating' Australia was responsible for China not giving notice of its live fire drills last week. 'We now see gunboat diplomacy being added to the litany of war talk from the opposition,' she said. 'Such rhetoric does not make Australia safer.' But Paterson accused Anthony Albanese of contradicting the foreign affairs minister and defence officials, and questioned whether he was 'across the details'. 'It is in the public interest to understand why the prime minister has repeatedly inaccurately described the behaviour of a People's Liberation Army-Navy task group in our region.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Wong responded: 'You're not actually interested in the detail. If you were interested in how we are working to keep Australians safe, you would have asked for a briefing [sooner] than four days after the incident happened, but you're only interested in trying to invest in a political attack.' No warning was given ahead of time that the Chinese ships were live-firing in the sea on Friday; the first alert came from a Virgin flight that was warned by the Chinese ships over radio that a live-fire drill was already under way as it approached the ships' position. The plane was forced to divert its course mid-flight. The civilian pilot alerted AirServices Australia which issued a hazard alert over an 18-kilometre zone to a height of 45,000 feet. Over the weekend, 49 commercial flights were forced to divert around the Chinese vessels. Australia and New Zealand have raised the lack of warning with Chinese officials, saying it was disruptive to flights and potentially dangerous, while noting the drills were conducted in international waters and in accordance with international law. NZ navy frigate Te Kaha was monitoring the Chinese flotilla at the time of the first live-fire drill on Friday morning, but its alert did not reach Australia until an hour after the first warning from the civilian flight. In a statement, the NZ defence force said: 'HMNZS Te Kaha's primary focus when the live firing notification occurred was ensuring the safety of all vessels and aircraft in the area, including civilian ships and aircraft. 'Civilian aircraft and authorities were able to share information that enabled those aircraft to take appropriate action in response. 'The key point is that while these live fire activities are allowed under international law, the manner in which the task group notified its intentions did not meet best practice.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Australia has maintained that it is convention – also using the language of 'best practice' – to give between 12 and 48 hours' notice of a live-fire drill to allow for ships in the area to take evasive action, and for flights to be diverted ahead of time. Wong met with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in South Africa this week, and said she made it clear the conduct of the live-fire drills 'did not meet our expectations and was of deep concern'. New Zealand's foreign minister, Winston Peters, has also met with Wang. Currently in Beijing for bilateral talks, he told reporters he raised the lack of notice with his Chinese counterpart. 'I think it would be true to say that he took our concerns on board,' Peters said. 'This is a failure in [the NZ-China relationship] at this time, and we'd like to have it corrected in the future,' he said. 'That is something which we believe is under consideration.' On Thursday morning, the Chinese flotilla – the frigate Hengyang, the cruiser Zunyi, and a replenishment vessel Weishanhu – was about 500km west of Hobart, sailing into the Great Australian Bight. It is being monitored by two NZ navy ships and by P8-A Poseidon aircraft. The chief of the defence force, Adm David Johnston, said this week that it was possible that the three ships are accompanied by an undetected nuclear submarine. '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,' he told estimates on Wednesday.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Zealand warns Chinese ships in Tasman Sea armed with 'extremely capable' weaponry
Feb. 24 (UPI) -- New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins said Monday that a Chinese naval group conducting military exercises in the Tasman Sea was armed with "extremely capable" weaponry with the ability to target mainland Australia. Calling the minimal advance warning provided by Chinese authorities of two so-called live-fire exercises by the People's Liberation Army warships southeast of Australia on Friday and Saturday "unusual", Collins said the presence of such a powerful naval force was an omen of the need for New Zealand to ramp up defense spending amid rising strategic rivalry in the region. "We've certainly never seen a task group of this capability undertaking this sort of work, it's certainly a change," she said of the incident which forced the last-minute diversions of at least three flights in the area. "The weapons they have are extremely capable. One has 112 vertical launch cells and has reported anti-ship ballistic missile range of 540 nautical miles," said Collins, who added that the battle group was now 280 miles east of Tasmania and being shadowed by the New Zealand Navy frigate Te Kaha. Collins said that as far as she was aware the Jiangkai-class frigate, Hengyang, Renhai-class cruiser Zunyi and Fuchi-class supply vessel Weishanhu that made up Taskgroup 107 were conventional non-nuclear powered ships that were not carrying nuclear weapons or missiles capable of being armed with a nuclear warhead. However, she expressed frustration that Chinese authorities were rejecting information requests regarding the movements of the warships. Collins said that meant they were left with no alternative but to accept that the warships were engaged in "normal transits" of waters in the region in line with the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea rules and were not violating international law. China's defense ministry complained that both New Zealand and Australia had purposely exaggerated the actions of its navy, insisting that they were perfectly legal. "Australia, knowing this well, made unreasonable accusations against China and deliberately hyped it up," said Chinese defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian. "We are deeply surprised and strongly dissatisfied with this." The Chinese navy did inform the Australian Defense Department on Friday ahead of the drills but Collins rejected claims by the Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand, Wang Xiaolong, that the appropriate notice period was provided. "There was a warning to civil aviation flights, that was basically a very short amount of notice, rather than what we would consider best practice which is 12-24 hours notice, so that aircraft don't have to be diverted when they're on the wing," said Collins. She warned New Zealand's remote location on the globe was no longer adequate protection. "We need to clearly step up our game," she said. The Te Kaha reported from international water 340 miles off Australia on Friday that the Chinese warships assumed a live-fire drill formation before positioning a target, maneuvering and then collecting the target from the water. No live fire, including surface-to-air, was seen. However, on Saturday, it reported live rounds fired from one of the ships. The exercises were putting both countries on notice that China can project its military might well into South Pacific, according to analysts, while Collins suggested China might have its eye on vast mineral deposits beneath the ocean floor amid a deep sea mining deal it struck with the Cook Islands last week.
The Guardian
24-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Extremely capable' weapons on Chinese warships off Australia's east coast, NZ government says
New Zealand's defence minister has warned that Chinese warships located off the east coast of Australia are armed with 'extremely capable' weapons that could reach Australia. The three vessels, known as Taskgroup 107, undertook two live-fire exercises in the seas between Australia and New Zealand last week, causing commercial flights to be diverted in the skies above. Judith Collins, the defence minister of New Zealand, said on Monday that the ships were currently 280 nautical miles (518km) east of Tasmania and were being closely monitored by New Zealand navy vessel Te Kaha. Collins said the presence of the vessels in waters off New Zealand and Australia, and the short warning given by the Chinese government before the live-fire exercise on Friday was 'unusual'. 'We've certainly never seen a task group of this capability undertaking this sort of work, it's certainly a change,' she told RNZ Radio. 'The weapons they have are extremely capable. One has 112 vertical launch cells and has reported anti-ship ballistic missile range of 540 nautical miles,' she said. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Collins said the information she had was that the vessels were not nuclear-powered and did not have nuclear weapons, or missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, onboard. 'They're not telling us what they're planning,' Collins told RNZ. 'We're taking them at face value that they are undertaking normal transits when it comes to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, that they're not breaking the law. 'But as we've said, it is always better to give a lot more notice when it comes to live firing.' The Chinese navy notified the Australian defence department shortly before the drill on Friday. Collins told RNZ that assertions by China's ambassador to New Zealand that appropriate advance notice of the drills had been given were 'wrong'. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'There was a warning to civil aviation flights, that was basically a very short amount of notice, rather than what we would consider best practice which is 12-24 hours notice, so that aircraft don't have to be diverted when they're on the wing.' On Friday, the first live-fire exercise was observed by a New Zealand navy vessel. It involved the ships changing formation and placing a target in the water, manoeuvring again, and then recovering the target. No live fire was observed, but the change in formation was consistent with a live-fire drill. On Saturday, New Zealand navy personnel advised live rounds were fired from a Chinese warship in international waters. Australia's prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said on the weekend that senior defence officials were continuing to monitor the ships after they were first spotted moving south in international waters about 280km off Sydney on Thursday. The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, met with her Chinese counterpart and demanded to know why the vessels only offered limited notice before the firing was carried out. China's actions are believed to have complied with international law and the Australian Defence Force advised there was no imminent threat to its assets or those of New Zealand.
Japan Times
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
New Zealand says China navy held another live-fire drill in international waters
New Zealand said the Chinese navy conducted a live-fire exercise in international waters near the Pacific nation on Saturday, a day after it held a similar drill between Australia and New Zealand that forced airlines to divert flights. "Reporting from the New Zealand Defence Force that the Chinese naval Task Group has advised of a second window for live firing activity, on Saturday afternoon," a spokesperson for Defence Minister Judith Collins said in a statement. Personnel on New Zealand Navy frigate Te Kaha observed live rounds fired from a Chinese vessel's main gun, the statement said, adding that the task group had "advised via radio channels of its intent to conduct live firing." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said earlier on Saturday that it was unclear where the Chinese naval vessels were headed in international waters and for what purpose. "What we are doing is monitoring and shadowing and tracking the fleet," he said in Christchurch, adding that China was acting in accordance with international law. Saturday's live-fire drill took place in the Tasman Sea, broadcaster Radio New Zealand reported. On Friday, airlines including Qantas, Emirates and Air New Zealand had to modify flight paths between Australia and New Zealand after China broadcast a message that its navy would hold live-fire exercises in international waters off Australia's New South Wales state coast. Australia Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday that Beijing had failed to give satisfactory reasons for what he called inadequate notice of Friday's live-fire drill. The late notice was "disconcerting" for commercial aviation, he said. "When we do an activity of this kind, we would typically give 12 to 24 hours notice," Marles told broadcaster Nine Entertainment, according to a transcript. The warning by the Chinese vessels was at "very short notice," Marles said, without saying how many hours were given. Australia's defense force said there was no imminent risk of danger to Australian or New Zealand assets, the government said on Friday. "China did comply with international law and that's important to not suggest that that wasn't the case," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday in remarks televised by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian accused Australia of "deliberately hyping up" the drills, according to a release on Sunday. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Friday on the sidelines of a Group of 20 meeting in South Africa, saying they would discuss "safe and professional military conduct." Wang told the Australian foreign minister that bilateral ties had stabilized but he hoped Australia would continue to "properly handle any differences and disagreements," according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry on Saturday. There was no mention of China's military conduct in the statement. Friday's exercise took place after a People's Liberation Army Navy frigate, cruiser and replenishment vessel entered Australia's maritime approaches last week, and traveled down Australia's east coast this week, monitored by the navies and air forces of Australia and New Zealand. Australia this month complained about "unsafe and unprofessional" actions by a Chinese fighter jet towards an Australian maritime patrol in the South China Sea. Beijing accused the Australian aircraft of "deliberately intruding" into its airspace. China rejects a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague that its claim to almost all of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by several Southeast Asia nations, was not supported by international law.
Japan Times
23-02-2025
- Japan Times
New Zealand says China navy held second round of live-fire drill in international waters
New Zealand said the Chinese navy conducted a live-fire exercise in international waters near the Pacific nation on Saturday, a day after it held a similar drill between Australia and New Zealand that forced airlines to divert flights. "Reporting from the New Zealand Defence Force that the Chinese naval Task Group has advised of a second window for live firing activity, on Saturday afternoon," a spokesperson for Defence Minister Judith Collins said in a statement. Personnel on New Zealand Navy frigate Te Kaha observed live rounds fired from a Chinese vessel's main gun, the statement said, adding that the task group had "advised via radio channels of its intent to conduct live firing."
