Key points
- A frigate, a cruiser and a supply tanker — were spotted last week
- Canberra rebuked Beijing last week for “unsafe” military conduct
- A Chinese fighter jet was accused of intercepting an Aussie Seahawk helicopter in 2024
SYDNEY, Australia: Australia was Thursday monitoring the “unusual” presence of three Chinese warships sailing off its eastern coast, the defence minister said.
According to AFP, three Chinese navy vessels — a frigate, a cruiser and a supply tanker — were spotted last week in waters off mainland Australia.
They have since charted a course taking them down Australia’s eastern coast.
“We are keeping a close watch on them, and we will make sure we are watching every move,” Defence Minister Richard Marles told Sky News.
“It’s not unprecedented. But it is an unusual event.”
Marles stressed the vessels were “not a threat” and that they were “engaging in accordance with international law”, the AFP reported.
According to a Bloomberg report published Thursday, the People’s Liberation Navy’s Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai-class guided-missile cruiser Zunyi and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu are currently operating off the east coast of Australia, the Department of Defence in Canberra said in an emailed statement late Wednesday.
According to a post by Indo-Pacific News, the Australian Defence Ministry last week said the ships were sailing in international waters off the country’s north-east. The two warships include a frigate called the Hengyang and a cruiser, the Zunyi. The Pentagon last year said the People’s Liberation Army Navy was building ships that extended its reach beyond east Asia. China insists it has the right to develop its military.
Australia’s navy tracks Chinese warships off east coast
‘Unprecedented’ manoeuvre comes as Beijing projects power further in Pacific.
The Australian navy is shadowing Chinese warships 150 nautical miles east of Sydney, the furthest China’s navy has sailed down the eastern… pic.twitter.com/YA1sOp4nkX
— Indo-Pacific News – Geo-Politics & Defense (@IndoPac_Info) February 19, 2025
“While US foreign policy is in flux . . . the presence of the Chinese ships off Australia displays a consistency, with the Chinese navy continuing to extend the reach and intensity of its patrols in the region including off Australia and the south Pacific Islands,” said Richard McGregor at the Lowy Institute think-tank.
Beijing rebuked
According to AFP, Canberra rebuked Beijing last week for “unsafe” military conduct, accusing a Chinese fighter jet of dropping flares near an Australian air force plane patrolling the South China Sea.
READ ALSO: Taiwan Reports Record Number of Chinese Warships in Waters Surrounding the Island
Beijing swiftly hit back, accusing the Australian plane of “violating Chinese sovereignty and endangering Chinese national security”.
It was the latest in a string of tense encounters between China and Australia in the increasingly contested airspace and shipping lanes of the Asia-Pacific region.
A Chinese fighter jet was accused of intercepting an Australian Seahawk helicopter in international airspace in 2024, dropping flares across its flight path.
In 2023, a Chinese destroyer was accused of bombarding submerged Australian navy divers with sonar pulses in waters off Japan, causing minor injuries.
