Chinese warships’ live fire exercise forces planes to divert between Australia, NZ

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The sources said the Chinese military informed Australian authorities on Friday they would be conducting live fire exercises later that day, prompting the speedy establishment of an 18 kilometre airspace protection zone up to a height of 45,000 feet.

Up to three commercial aircraft were diverted from their planned routes because of the ships’ activity, Defence sources said.

The NZ navy deployed HMNZS Te Kaha, an Anzac-class frigate, to shadow the Chinese ships.

The ship’s crew reported observing behaviour “consistent with a live fire activity” and monitored the Chinese ships deploying and recovering a floating target.

The NZ crew did not report observing any fires on the target and said there was no indication of any surface-to-air firing.

“This is more about disruption caused rather than risk,” a Defence source said, adding the exercises did not breach international law.

But Defence sources said the Australian navy would give 24 to 48 hours notice of similar exercises and would avoid areas with significant commercial air and sea travel.

The federal government has requested additional information from the Chinese defence attaché in Canberra and with authorities in Beijing.

A spokeswoman for Airservices Australia said the organisation was “aware of reports of live firing in international waters”.

“As a precaution, we have advised airlines with flights planned in the area,” she said. “We are also working together to coordinate advice to operators and pilots.”

The ADF 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”.

Defence Minister Richard Marles earlier said the government had deployed air and sea assets to shadow the Chinese ships, describing the flotilla’s behaviour 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.

“Australia is also entitled to be prudent, and we are monitoring very closely what the activities of the task group are.”

Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie went further, saying: “Let’s call a spade a spade. The Chinese military has built a blue-water navy [capable of long-range operations] and are now testing us, along with other allies in the region.

“This is not just ‘unusual’ as the defence minister has played it down – it’s provocative.”

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