By Matthew Knott
The Australian Defence Force is keeping close watch on three Chinese military ships which have been spotted just 150 nautical miles from Sydney after moving steadily down the east coast of Australia over recent days.
Defence last week revealed the Chinese flotilla had been spotted off north-east Queensland as it also disclosed an Australian military plane had been involved in a dangerous incident with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in the South China Sea but the vessels have moved further south since then.
People’s Liberation Army-Navy Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang has been spotted 150 nautical miles off the coast of Sydney.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said: “We are keeping close watch on them, and we will be making sure that we watch every move”.
“It is important that we understand exactly what is happening here,” he told Sky News on Thursday.
He described the activity as “unusual” but not necessarily unprecedented. “They’re not a threat in the sense that they are engaging in accordance with international law,” he said, as the ships have not crossed into Australia’s territorial waters.
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the Chinese ships had exhibited “very unusual behaviour”.
“It is not normal to come this far down the east coast of Australia and I think the prime minister needs to show some leadership here,” Paterson told Sky News.
“I think he should stand up today and explain what he can about what we know about the intentions of the Chinese government here and what the Australian government response is.
“But we have to be resolute in guarding our own interests and our own sovereignty, and I think he needs to make that clear today.”
The Australian Defence Force said in a statement on Wednesday night it was “monitoring the People’s Liberation Army-Navy Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai-class cruiser named Zunyi and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu, which continue to operate to the east of Australia.”
The London Financial Times reported the vessels had come as close as 150 nautical miles – 278 kilometres – from the coast of Sydney.
This is believed to be the furthest down the east coast that Chinese navy ships have travelled without being on an official military visit to Australia.
“Defence routinely monitors all maritime traffic in Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone and maritime approaches,” the ADF said.
“Australia respects the rights of all states to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace, under international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
While the three Chinese ships had not breached international law, the ADF was concerned enough to issue a rare statement about their presence within Australia’s exclusive economic zone last week.
The Chinese vessels travelled through South-East Asia before entering Australia’s maritime approaches.
Marles said last week, when the ships were to Australia’s north, that the government was “responding in a serious way” to the ships’ presence, even though China had acted “perfectly in accordance with international law”.
“I’ve ordered a deployment of both navy and air force assets to make sure that we are shadowing this to have a clear understanding of what’s going on,” Marles said.
Jennifer Parker, an expert associate at the Australian National University’s National Security College, said: “I assume this is Defence trying to communicate with the Australian public that Chinese military behaviour in the region is changing.”
Parker, a former naval officer, said the PLA was “becoming more expeditionary and is operating further from China’s shores”.
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