Chinese Warships Near Australia Announce Live-Fire Drills, Prompting Warnings

Australia and New Zealand are intensifying their surveillance of three Chinese naval vessels that have unexpectedly traveled deep into the South Pacific. After initially moving along Australia’s east coast, the warships have now announced plans to conduct live-fire exercises in international waters between Australia and New Zealand.

Australian officials, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, have confirmed that the Chinese fleet is operating legally but stressed that the military exercises were announced with little warning. The sudden nature of the drills has led to air traffic controllers advising commercial flights to reroute as a precaution.

The warships — identified as a missile cruiser, a frigate and a supply vessel — were first detected near Australia’s exclusive economic zone.

New Zealand’s Defense Minister Judith Collins echoed similar concerns, noting that Beijing had provided no explanation for the warships’ deployment. New Zealand’s military has been coordinating closely with Australia to track the vessels and assess their potential movements.

This deployment follows a series of escalating tensions between China and Australia, including a recent confrontation between a Chinese fighter jet and an Australian military plane over the South China Sea.

With China’s naval forces now engaging in military exercises in the Tasman Sea, defense analysts warn that Beijing may be demonstrating its ability to operate deep into the Pacific, a move that has drawn increased attention from both regional and global military observers.

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