China denied spying on Australia with a research ship, which has a suspected dual purpose for military and civilian uses, saying its activities were in compliance with international laws.
The Australian Defense Department confirmed to Newsweek that the Chinese vessel was approaching the nation’s west coast but did not conduct any research or survey activities.
Why It Matters
Australia is a major United States security ally in the South Pacific Ocean. The presence of the Chinese government scientific research vessel, Tan Suo Yi Hao, comes after China sent a three-ship naval task group for an unprecedented circumnavigation of Australia.
What To Know
The Chinese vessel is the mother ship of two types of submersibles for deep-sea exploration.
Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering
While the Tan Suo Yi Hao was transiting westward off the Australian southern coastline, the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine USS Minnesota visited a strategic port in northern Australia in late March, following a visit to the allied nation’s west coast in late February.
“The recent activities are parts of routine scientific research of the Chinese vessel,” said an unnamed spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Australia, adding that “politicizing or stigmatizing the research activities is disrespectful to global scientific development.”
With regard to the vessel’s voyage, the Chinese spokesperson claimed that it was set in accordance with the international waterway and taking the coastal weather forecast into consideration, according to the English remarks put out by the embassy on Wednesday.
As of Thursday, the Tan Suo Yi Hao was underway 741 kilometers [460 miles] southeast of Perth in Western Australia, sailing westward at 8 knots [9.2 miles per hour], said Vice Admiral Justin Jones, Australian Chief of Joint Operations, in a statement to Newsweek.
The latest position puts the Chinese vessel outside the Australian territorial waters, which extend up to 12 nautical miles [13.8 miles] from its coasts, but within the country’s 200-nautical-mile [230 miles] exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a Newsweek map shows.
The Australian military also confirmed that the Tan Suo Yi Hao first entered the nation’s EEZ from the Tasman Sea on March 27. It transited the Bass Strait, which separates the island of Tasmania from the southeastern Australian mainland, from March 28 to 29.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world’s oceans and seas, marine scientific research within the EEZ waters “shall be conducted with the consent of the coastal state.”
The Chinese Embassy claimed that the Tan Suo Yi Hao has not conducted any operations while underway in the Australian EEZ. It said the vessel’s “normal activities” at sea have no relevance to the relations between China and Australia, as well as the May 3 Australian election.
The Australian Defense Force is employing “multiple means,” including the P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, to monitor the Chinese ship. Multiple flights have already taken place over the period, and further surveillance will continue, said the Australian military.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand government confirmed to local media on Wednesday that it granted consent for the Tan Suo Yi Hao to conduct joint marine research in the country’s waters. The New Zealand military said it was aware of the ship’s location and movements.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Australia said: “China and Australia are comprehensive strategic partners, and deepening friendly cooperation serves the common interests of our two countries and peoples.”
Vice Admiral Justin Jones, Australian Chief of Joint Operations, said: “[Australian Defense Force] routinely monitors maritime traffic, and has a range of [Australian Defense Force] assets available to monitor and, if necessary, respond to activity in Australia’s maritime approaches.”
What Happens Next
It is now likely that the Chinese research ship will sail around Australia on its way home. Beijing may dispatch additional military and research vessels near Australia in the future.
