bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Reuters

Australia is closely monitoring a Chinese navy task group in the country’s exclusive economic zone off its east coast but the ships did not pose any threats as they had not breached any maritime laws, Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Thursday.
A PLA Navy frigate, cruiser and replenishment vessel had last week entered Australia’s maritime approaches with the frigate transiting the Torres Strait between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
It has since moved south, sailing within 150 nautical miles (240km) off the coast of Sydney, the Financial Times reported. A defence department statement did not mention the location.
“We are keeping a close watch on them and we will be making sure that we watch every move,” Marles told Sky News.
“And whenever this mission is over on the part of the Chinese task group, we will assess everything we have seen to make a proper assessment of exactly what they were trying to achieve through this mission.”
Australia’s air force and navy were monitoring the ships, he said.
“This is not unprecedented but an unusual event. Just as they have a right to be in international waters … we have a right to be prudent and to make sure that we are surveilling them, which is what we are doing,” Marles said.
The sailing of the Chinese ships comes after Australia this month raised concerns with Beijing over what it said were “unsafe and unprofessional” actions by a Chinese fighter jet towards an Australian maritime patrol in the South China Sea, an account disputed by Beijing.


China has been looking to increase its influence in the Pacific, which for decades Australia and the United States have seen as their sphere of influence and are seeking to deter the Pacific island nations from forming security ties with China.
Also on Thursday, Australia and Papua New Guinea said they would begin talks on a full defence treaty between the two countries.
Australia and Papua New Guinea already have a defence cooperation agreement, but the talks were aimed at helping their armed forces operate more closely together, Marles said.
“This will enable our two defence forces to walk down a pathway of increasing integration and increasing interoperability,” Marles told a news conference with his counterpart Billy Joseph.
“We have many friends and we treat as friends uniquely under different levels, but with Australia … we are tied to the hips, we are very close,” Joseph said.


Australia slams reward letters seeking wanted Hong Kong activist in Melbourne

Hong Kong stocks hit 3-year high on hopes Trump-Xi talks could ease trade tensions

Asia’s commercial property market growing in diversity and complexity

Hot weather is bad for your heart, Australian study finds

Australia

Australia says watching ‘every move’ of Chinese warships off Sydney’s coast

A Chinese frigate operating off the east coast of Australia. Photo: Australian Defence Force/AFP


Trump supports Aukus submarines for Australia – will he stay the course?

A Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine. Australia is set to acquire these vessels from the early 2030s.  Photo: US Navy

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles says Australia has transferred the first US$500 million payment to the US for the Aukus submarine deal. Photo: Reuters

Australian PM Anthony Albanese, then-US President Joe Biden and then-UK PM Rishi Sunak gather in San Diego for an Aukus meeting in 2023. Photo: AP

Chinese jet accused of dropping flares near Australian plane patrolling South China Sea

Australia accused a Chinese J-16 fighter jet of dropping flares near its military plane patrolling the South China Sea. Photo: AP


News

Asia

Australasia

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the vessels did not pose any threats but their presence was an ‘unusual event’


Defence Minister Richard Marles said the vessels did not pose any threats but their presence was an ‘unusual event’.


China-Australia relations

Defence

China’s navy