Commercial flights between Australia, New Zealand on notice over Chinese warship drill off coast

ISLAMABAD 

Commercial flights between Australia and New Zealand have been put on notice over “fears” of possible live-fire exercises by two Chinese warships southeast of Sydney, in international waters, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Friday.

The directive prompted several international flights to divert routes, it added.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said Thursday that his country’s military was closely working with New Zealand to monitor a Chinese naval taskforce transiting southeast off the coast of Australia.

Australia Foreign Minister Penny Wong also said she would discuss it with the Chinese side as she was expected to meet her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers meeting in South Africa later Friday.

“We will be discussing this with the Chinese and we already have at (an) official level in relation to the notice given and the transparency provided in relation to these exercises, particularly the live fire exercises,” she said.

Last week, Australia’s Defense Ministry claimed that a Chinese fighter had released flares in front of an Australian military plane in what they called an “unsafe and unprofessional” interaction over the disputed South China Sea.

Canberra said a People’s Liberation Army J-16 fighter aircraft “released flares in close proximity” to an Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft which was “conducting a routine maritime surveillance patrol” over the vast water body.

However, China’s Defense Ministry slammed Australia on its alleged “false narratives” and said it “deliberately infringed upon China’s rights and interests in the South China Sea, and even complained first and spread false narratives.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also spoke to Christopher Luxon, his New Zealand counterpart, ABC reported.

“This is activity that has occurred in waters consistent with international law,” said Albanese. “There has been no risk of danger to any Australian assets or New Zealand assets.”

Albanese said the vessels issued an alert that they would be holding exercises including potential live fire.

He repeated that it was not clear whether live firing had occurred.

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