Australia, New Zealand monitors 3 Chinese warships off Australia

Melbourne, Australia – Australian armies and New Zealand were watching three Chinese warships Officials said on Thursday that moving to the far normal south along the East Coast of Australia is on an unknown mission.

The Australian government revealed a week ago that the warships traveled across Southeast Asia and the Marjan Sea and were approaching northeastern Australia.

defense minister Richard Marles He said on Thursday that Chinese ships – the Hengyang marine frigate, Cruiser Zunyi and the Weishaanhu Regeneration – was “off the eastern coast of Australia.”

Defense officials did not want to comment on the Financial Times report that a group of tasks from the Chinese army, the People's Liberation Army, was 150 nautical miles east of Sydney.

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

Australia says that the Chinese warships that are entitled to deploy the Australian coast

Marles said that the Australian naval ships and air force aircraft were monitoring the movements of Chinese ships through the international waters in the exclusive economic zone in Australia, the region that exceeds its territorial waters where a nation has exclusive economic rights.

“They have the right to be in their place; Marles told reporters:” Australia has the right to be wise, and we closely watch what are the activities of the task group. “

He added: “What we will do whenever this task is over by the Chinese group of tasks in a complete assessment of what the Chinese were seeking to achieve regarding this task.”

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun was asked in a media briefing on Wednesday about the Chinese warship site and answered that he was not aware of the situation. The Chinese embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Australia deals with Papua New Guinea and New Zealand on Chinese warships

Marles said that Australia participated with its nearest neighbor Papua New Guinea On its response, because the Chinese traveled around the coast of the Pacific Island on their way to the exclusive economic zone in Australia.

He said that Australia was “working closely” with New Zealand, which is separated from the eastern Australian coast by the Sea of ​​Tasman.

Judith Collins, New Zealand defense minister, said in a statement that the New Zealand army was watching Chinese ships by sea and air “in coordination with Australia.”

She added: “We were not informed by the Chinese government about the reason for the publication of this group of tasks in our region, and we did not know what its future plans are.” “We will continue to monitor these ships.”

Experts say that the Chinese navy expects power all over the world

Jennifer Parker, an expert at the National Security College in Australia and a former Australian marine officer, said the Chinese warships rarely traveled to the south along the eastern coast of the country.

“This is part of a wider projection in power than PLA-NAVY, and we must expect to see more of this in the Pacific Ocean and in the Indian Ocean,” Parker said.

Chinese publishing is the head of the US Commander and the Admiral Pacific Commander Samuel Paparo Australia this week.

Parker said that the timing is likely to be by chance, given that the Chinese publication could have been planned a long time ago and that the United States does not issue information about the travel of its senior officers even near the visit.

“Without knowing exactly to where the ships are going, the goal of this publishing is,” Parker said, as I think, is to show Australia that they have the ability to get off and work in our maritime field. “

Prime Minister Anthony Albaniz told a press conference that he was not worried about Chinese warship reports off Sydney.

Albaniz said: “The Chinese naval ships are compatible with international law, but as we do, we are monitoring the situation and watching what is going on, as you expect.”

Relations between Chinese and Australian armies remain dangerous

Three Chinese warships visited Sydney Port in 2019. But their journey was approved by the Australian government.

Australia diplomat and commerce Relations with China have improved in recent years, but relations between the two armies are dangerous.

Australia protested what it described as Insecure Last week, across the South China Sea, where a Chinese fighter was accused of firing torches, an Australian military surveillance plane was subjected to a military surveillance plane.

Qouh, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, accused the Australian plane of “intentionally” interfering with the disputed Paraceel Islands, which claim China.

The Associated Press Charlotte Graham McLei in Witzton, New Zealand, contributed to this report.