Australia and New Zealand are vigilantly observing a Chinese naval task force in the Tasman Sea, expressing unease about the warships’ unexplained presence in unusually southern waters.
The Chinese fleet, comprising a Renhai-class cruiser, a frigate and a supply ship, was initially spotted last week near Australia’s northeastern shores, subsequently moving 150 nautical miles east of Sydney, outside territorial waters but within its exclusive economic zone, as reported by The Financial Times.
Australia’s deputy Prime Minister and defence minister Richard Marles mentioned that whilst the Chinese vessels were operating within legal bounds, their activities were under close observation.
“We are keeping close watch on them, and we will be making sure that we watch every move,” Marles said in a television interview. He observed that whilst Chinese naval presence in the region isn’t unprecedented, vessels of this calibre rarely venture this far south.
New Zealand’s defence minister Judith Collins voiced her concerns about the Chinese government’s lack of communication regarding the mission’s objectives and future plans.”We have not been informed by the Chinese government why this task group has been deployed into our region, and we have not been informed what its future plans are,” Collins told reporters in Wellington, according to The New Zealand Herald.
One of the ships, the Zunyi, is a Renhai-class cruiser described by the US Naval Institute as “among the most formidable warships afloat.” The deployment of such a heavily armed vessel suggests China is demonstrating its naval power, according to Collin Koh, a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
“It’s meant to signal to Australia and to the US that the PLA Navy is not going to be constrained in movements and actions,” Koh said, as per The New York Times.
Last week, a Chinese fighter jet had a tense encounter with an Australian surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea. The Australian defence forces accused China of “unsafe and unprofessional” conduct, while China claimed Australia was engaging in provocation.
In September, China launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that landed in the Pacific Ocean, a move that Judith Collins described as contributing to growing regional tensions.
Maritime security expert Bec Strating from La Trobe University highlighted that China’s movements could be an intelligence-gathering operation or a signal to Australia about its growing naval presence.
“What is the Chinese navy doing this far south? That is the thing causing anxiety. Is this intelligence gathering? Is this really just signaling to Australia that the Chinese are also able to have naval presence in these areas?” The New York Times quoted Strating.
Australia and New Zealand’s response
The Australian defence force is monitoring the ships from the sea and air, while New Zealand has deployed its military to coordinate surveillance efforts with Australia.
A spokesperson for Australia’s defence department was quoted by Newsweek saying that while Australia respects the rights of all states to operate in international waters, it remains cautious about China’s growing naval reach.
“Australia respects the rights of all states to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace, under international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the spokesperson said.
As of now, it remains unclear how long the Chinese naval task group will remain in the Tasman Sea or where it is heading next. Chinese state media has previously referred to similar missions as “far-sea combat drills” in the Pacific Ocean.
New Zealand’s Judith Collins described the presence of highly capable Chinese warships so far south as a “significant” development, adding that both Australia and New Zealand would continue joint surveillance efforts.