Chinese ships have conducted a second round of live firing exercises in the waters between Australia and New Zealand.
New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins’ office confirmed the second day of exercises in the Tasman Sea on Saturday after Kiwi sailors witnessed a Chinese warship firing its gun.
Chinese naval task force officials had notified the New Zealand government via radio about its latest round of exercises in the afternoon mere hours before they began.
‘We have had confirmation that personnel on Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha observed live rounds being fired from the Zunyi’s main gun, as would be expected during the course of such an exercise,’ Ms Collins’ office told Stuff.
‘Defence is working with the NZ Civil Aviation Authority to ensure all aircraft are notified. The safety of all people, aircraft and vessels in the area remains our paramount concern.
‘Our concerns regarding notification times and best practise when undertaking military exercises stand, and will be communicated appropriately.’
NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said it would have been nice if China gave him a day or two’s notice regarding the exercises as well as elaborating on why the ships were even sent to the Tasman Sea in the first place.
‘There certainly was no risk or danger to any New Zealand or Australian assets,’ he said in a press conference.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said his government hasn’t been informed by the Chinese government as to why the warships were there
NZ Defence Minister Judith Collins’ office confirmed the second day of live firing exercises on Saturday
‘Having said that I would just say that good practice is normally we would have 24-to-48-hours notice [of the exercises taking place].
‘And more importantly there might be a better place to do some live-fire drills other than below what is a very busy international airspace.’
Mr Luxon previously noted his government ‘haven’t actually been informed by the Chinese government as to why this task group is here’.
The frigate Hengyang, cruiser Zunyi, and replenishment ship Weishanhu are outside Australia’s territorial waters, but inside its exclusive economic zone, making their presence legal.
They are conducting exercises around 350 nautical miles northeast of the Bass Strait which separates Tasmania from mainland Australia.
Some commentators said the move was an aggressive demonstration of power and control.
Mr Luxon said his government is keeping track of all three ships.
‘What we are seeing is something very different here, with the configuration of a cruiser, and a frigate, and a refueller, obviously, and that is different from what we’ve seen before, where we may have seen research vessels in and around our waters, but we do what we will do, which is to monitor very, very closely,’ he said Friday.
Mr Luxon said he is working in close proximity to Australian Anthony Albanese regarding the unexplained military exercise
‘We haven’t been given a reason as to why they’re here in this configuration with this set of ships, with these different set of capabilities, and we don’t really have a sense of, you know, we haven’t been told where they’re going and why.’
He added: ‘[the Chinese naval group are] operating well within the balance of international law, following the conventions from the UN those are the same conventions, the same laws that we uphold and expect to be upheld for us when we are moving around the world as well.’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been in contact with Mr Luxon and is also monitoring the situation closely.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong met with her Chinese counterpart, demanding answers as to why the vessels only offered limited notice before the firing was carried out, on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Johannesburg on Friday.
The latest round of live-firings comes after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese bristled at reporters who told him to get Beijing on the phone after three of its ships unexpected arrived 280km off Sydney, in international waters, on Thursday.
Mr Albanese told reporters that it was China’s right to carry out the exercise as it had not breached international law.
Mr Albanese was asked if he was planning on confronting Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding the ships but the Australian leader instead defended the exercise as legal
‘It’s important to not suggest that wasn’t the case. What we have done is to make appropriate representation through diplomatic channels, including foreign minister to foreign minister,’ he said Saturday.
‘They could have given more notice but Australia has a presence from time to time in the South China Sea (and) this activity took place outside of our exclusive economic zone. Notification did occur.’
Australia has coordinated its response with New Zealand but not spoken with ANZUS ally the United States since the incident.
Qantas, Emirates, Virgin and Air New Zealand modified flight paths between Australia and New Zealand after receiving reports of live firing in international waters on Friday.
Commercial aircraft were diverted from their planned routes because of the ships’ activity.
