Australian and New Zealand militaries monitoring three Chinese warships off Australia

In this photo provided by the Australian Defense Force, the People’s Liberation Army-Navy Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang travels in the Torres Strait off Australia’s coast

The Australian and New Zealand militaries were monitoring three Chinese warships moving unusually far south along Australia’s east coast on an unknown mission, officials said yesterday.

The Australian government revealed a week ago that the warships had traveled through Southeast Asia and the Coral Sea and were approaching northeast Australia.

Defense Minister Richard Marles said that the Chinese ships — the naval frigate Hengyang, cruiser Zunyi and replenishment vessel Weishanhu — were “off the east coast of Australia.”

Defense officials did not respond to a request for comment on a Financial Times report that the task group from China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army, was 150 nautical miles (278 kilometers) east of Sydney.

“There is no doubt that this is, not unprecedented, but an unusual event,” Marles told Sky News television.

Marles said Australian navy ships and air force planes were monitoring the Chinese ships’ movements through international waters that are in Australia’s exclusive economic zone, the area beyond its territorial waters where a nation has exclusive economic rights.

“They’re entitled to be where they are; Australia is also entitled to be prudent and we are monitoring very closely what the activities of the task group are,” Marles told reporters.

“What we will do whenever this mission is over on the part of the Chinese task group is engage in a full assessment of what the Chinese were seeking to achieve in respect of this mission,” he added.

In Beijing, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun was asked at a media briefing on Wednesday about the Chinese warships’ location and replied he was not aware of the situation. The Chinese Embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment yesterday.

Australia engages with Papua New Guinea and New Zealand over Chinese warships

Marles said Australia had engaged with its nearest neighbor Papua New Guinea over its response because the Chinese had traveled around the South Pacific island nation’s coast on their way to Australia’s exclusive economic zone.

Australia was also “working very closely” with New Zealand, which is separated from the Australian east coast by the Tasman Sea, he said.

New Zealand’s military was also monitoring the Chinese ships by sea and air “in coordination with Australia,” New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins said in a statement.

“We have not been informed by the Chinese government why this task group has been deployed into our region, and we have not been informed what its future plans are,” she added. “We will continue to monitor these vessels.”

Jennifer Parker, an expert associate of Australia’s National Security College and a former Australian naval officer, said Chinese warships rarely traveled so far south along the nation’s east coast.

“This is part of a broader power projection from the PLA-Navy and we should expect to see more of this in the Pacific and in the Indian Ocean,” Parker said.

The Chinese deployment comes as the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Adm. Samuel Paparo visits Australia this week.

Parker said the timing was likely coincidental given the Chinese deployment would have been planned well in advance and the United States doesn’t release information about their senior officers’ travel until close to the visit.

“Without knowing exactly where the ships are going, the point of this deployment, I think, is to demonstrate to Australia that they have the capability to come down and operate in our maritime domain,” Parker said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a news conference he was not worried by reports of Chinese warships off Sydney.

“The Chinese naval ships are complying with international law, but as we do, we are monitoring the situation and observing what is going on, as you would expect,” Albanese said.

Relations between the Chinese and Australian militaries remain dangerous

Three Chinese warships visited Sydney Harbor in 2019. But their voyage had been approved by the Australian government. ROD McGUIRK, MELBOURNE, MDT/AP