Two United States allies in the South Pacific on Thursday sounded alarms on the “unusual” and “significant” presence of Chinese naval ships in the waters between them.
The Chinese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
Both Australia and New Zealand signed a security treaty with the U.S. in 1951. The three nations also form an intelligence-sharing alliance, the Five Eyes, with the United Kingdom and Canada, which has issued warnings over the national security threats posed by China.
The Chinese military has over 370 ships and submarines, forming the world’s largest navy by hull count. The Pentagon said in its latest assessment report that the Chinese navy continues to develop into a global force, gradually extending its operational reach beyond East Asia.
What To Know
A spokesperson for the Australian Defense Department confirmed to Newsweek that the country’s military was monitoring Chinese destroyer CNS Zunyi, frigate CNS Hengyang and replenishment vessel CNS Weishanhu, which were operating off Australia’s east coast.
Australian Defense Department
Australian defense chief Richard Marles told Sky News Australia the presence of China’s navy was “not unprecedented but an unusual event,” adding that the Chinese ships had not done “anything contrary to international law” as they were sailing in international waters.
The Chinese naval vessels were transiting 150 nautical miles east of Sydney in the Tasman Sea, situated between Australia and New Zealand, the Financial Times reported earlier. The location is within Australia’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone but well outside Australia’s territorial waters that extend 12 nautical miles from its shores.
While the Chinese flotilla does not constitute a threat, the Australian government needs to understand China’s motive in sending its navy “so close to Australia’s coast,” Marles said.
New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins confirmed that the country’s defense force has been deployed to work with its Australian counterparts to surveil the Chinese naval ships, which were “hugely capable” and have “enormous strike power.”
The Zunyi is a heavily armed 13,000-ton Type 055 destroyer. It is the first time Chinese warships with such capabilities had reached this far south, said Collins, who described the event as “significant,” The New Zealand Herald reported.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for the Australian Defense Department told Newsweek on Thursday: “Australia respects the rights of all states to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace, under international law, particularly the [United Nations] Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Thursday: “We are keeping close watch on them [Chinese naval ships] and we will be making sure that we watch every move…we will assess everything we have seen to make a proper assessment of exactly what they were trying to achieve through this mission.”
New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins said on Thursday: “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. We will continue to monitor these vessels.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in a press conference on Wednesday: “I’m not familiar with what you mentioned [China’s naval presence off the east coast of Australia]. I’d refer you to the competent Chinese authorities for relevant question.”
Stephen Hoadley, honorary captain in the New Zealand navy and retired international relations professor at the University of Auckland, told Radio New Zealand on Thursday: “Over-reacting is probably counter-productive, [in] that it gives the Chinese the satisfaction to know that they’re having a big impact on our psyche.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen how long the Chinese flotilla will operate near Australia and New Zealand. Chinese state media previously confirmed the deployment of the naval task group, claiming that it was conducting “far-sea combat drill” in the Pacific Ocean.
