Planes diverted as china conducts rare military drill near australia
Flights between australia and new zealand have been rerouted as china undertakes a closely monitored military exercise in nearby waters, which may involve live fire.
The presence of three chinese naval ships in the tasman Sea has drawn significant attention, with both australia and new zealand on heightened alert. Australian officials have described the activity as “unusual”.
Qantas confirmed to the BBC that it had “temporarily adjusted” the routes of its aircraft, while other carriers have reportedly taken similar precautions.
China’s military presence in the tasman sea
China has defended the exercise, asserting that it is being conducted in accordance with international law. The chinese fleet, consisting of a frigate, a cruiser, and a supply tanker, is currently stationed approximately 340 nautical miles east of the new south wales coast. At one point, the vessels were said to have come as close as 150 nautical miles from Sydney.
Both australia and new zealand have been actively monitoring the movement of the chinese warships. To observe their activities, both nations have deployed their own naval assets.
Earlier this week, New Zealand’s Defence Minister Judith Collins stated that China had not given prior notice about the warships entering the region. “They have not deigned to advise us on what they are doing in the Tasman Sea,” she told the New Zealand Herald.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles acknowledged that while the presence of Chinese warships in the region was “not unprecedented,” it remained “an unusual event”.
Chinese government’s response
China’s foreign ministry confirmed on friday that the country was carrying out naval training and exercises in “distant waters”. Spokesman Guo Jiakun stated, “The exercises were conducted in a safe, standard, and professional manner at all times, in accordance with relevant international laws and practices.”
Australia’s prime minister anthony Albanese confirmed that the chinese fleet had issued an alert on Friday, indicating that the drills could involve live fire. “This is activity that has occurred in waters consistent with international law… there has been no imminent risk of danger to any australian or new zealand assets,” he said.
However, defence minister Marles revealed that australian officials were not directly notified about the live-fire exercise. “What china did was put out a notification that it was intending to engage in live fire, and by that I mean a broadcast that was picked up by airlines, literally commercial planes flying across the Tasman,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Typically, such notices would be given 12 to 24 hours in advance.
On friday, an Emirates flight from sydney to christchurch was reportedly alerted to the exercise while it was still in the air. The BBC is seeking confirmation of this claim.
Airline response
Qantas confirmed that it had adjusted flight routes in response to the situation and stated that it was continuously monitoring the airspace. “We continue to work with the Australian government and broader industry to monitor the situation,” the airline said in a statement.
Other airlines, including virgin australia and air new zealand, have reportedly made similar adjustments.
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Growing military tensions
The drill follows a recent defence dialogue between australia and china in Beijing, where the two countries discussed military transparency and communication.
Relations between the nations have been strained by a series of maritime incidents. Earlier this month, canberra accused a Chinese fighter jet of releasing flares in front of an australian military aircraft flying over the south china sea. Beijing, however, claimed that the Australian aircraft had “intentionally intruded” into its airspace.
In May 2023, australia alleged that a chinese fighter jet had dropped flares close to an australian navy helicopter participating in a united nations security council mission in the yellow sea.
In another incident in november 2023, Canberra accused Beijing’s navy of deploying sonar pulses in international waters off japan, resulting in injuries to australian divers.
While the latest chinese military exercise remains within international legal boundaries, its proximity to australia and new zealand continues to raise concerns about regional security and military tensions in the indo-pacific.
