By Andrew Greene and Stephen Dziedzic, ABC
Three Chinese vessels were recently spotted 150 nautical miles east of Sydney.
Photo: ABC / Department of Defence
Commercial pilots have been warned to avoid airspace between Australia and New Zealand because of fears that Chinese naval vessels in the area were conducting live fire military drills.
The ABC has confirmed with Australian authorities that formal advice has been issued by air traffic controllers, which prompted several international flights to divert course.
The vessels were believed to be conducting the drills without notice 340 nautical miles south-east of Sydney, in international waters.
The ABC understands the Chinese vessels were seen deploying a floating target, changing formation and then resetting formation consistent with a live fire event.
However, it is understood the Australian military did not observe the vessels firing on the target.
Warnings remain in place and airlines are diverting flights.
In a statement, Air New Zealand told RNZ it “has modified flight paths as needed to avoid the area, with no impact on our operations”.
Qantas and its subsidiary Jetstar told RNZ they are working with the Australian government to monitor the situation.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing it was an evolving situation, but she believed live fire exercises had been conducted.
“We will be discussing this with the Chinese and we already have at official level in relation to the notice given and the transparency provided in relation to these exercises, particularly the live fire exercises,” Wong said.
“Obviously, this is an evolving situation, but it would be normal practice where a task group is engaging in exercises for there to be advice given to vessels and aircraft in the area and Airservices Australia is doing what it should do, which is to give that advice.
“We are aware of this task group, we are monitoring this task group very closely. It is, as I understand it, operating in international waters.”
Senator Wong is expected to meet with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, tonight on the margins of the G20, for a pre-planned meeting.
On Thursday, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australian ships and aircraft were working “very closely” with New Zealand’s military to monitor a Chinese naval taskforce transiting south-east off the east coast of Australia.
An earlier report from Washington in the UK’s Financial Times newspaper said the flotilla was around 150 nautical miles (277km) east of Sydney.
The Defence Department revealed last week the Chinese naval taskforce was being monitored in the Coral Sea, north-east of Queensland but within Australia’s exclusive economic zone.
The Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang was among the Chinese flotilla sailing east of Sydney.
Photo: ABC / Department of Defence
The department said the Chinese vessels were the Jiangki-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai-class cruiser Zunyi, and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu.
Defence also confirmed last week a Chinese fighter had released flares in front of an Australian military plane, in what it described as an “unsafe and unprofessional” interaction.
– ABC w/ RNZ