Feb. 21 (UPI) — Military exercises by the Chinese navy in international waters southeast of Australia on Friday forced commercial flights transiting the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand to divert on the advice of air traffic control.
At least three planes, including an Emirates flight from Sydney to Christchurch, were rerouted after warnings about the Chinese battle group, which did alert authorities it would be conducting exercises including possible live fire, as well as making direct contact with aircraft.
Emirates flight UAE3HJ was warned directly by the Chinese military to avoid the airspace above their theater of operations 340 miles off Australia, shortly before the fleet was believed to have carried out live-fire drills.
The Civil Aviation Authority and Airservices Australia said they were aware of the reports of live-firing and confirmed advice was being radioed directly to pilots of aircraft in the vicinity.
“As a precaution, we have advised airlines with flights planned in the area. We are also working together to coordinate advice to operators and pilots,” said a spokesperson.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appeared to play down the incident, saying that the so-called Task Group 107 had acted within international law, had given adequate notice, and that no Australian or New Zealand assets had been placed in any danger.
“It’s outside of Australia’s exclusive economic zone,” said Albanese, referring to country’s 200-mile zone over which it holds exclusive rights to resources, including oil, gas, wind and wave power, but stressed it was unclear whether live-firing had taken place.
However, Defense Minister Richard Marles accused the Chinese military of a serious communications failure by not acting early enough to prevent aircraft from unknowingly flying toward danger.
“We weren’t notified by China, we became aware of the issue during the course of the day,” Marles said.
“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 that were flying across the Tasman.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia had raised the matter on an official level and would be discussing it further with Chinese authorities.
A New Zealand Navy vessel observing the Jiangkai-class frigate, Hengyang, Renhai-class cruiser Zunyi, and the Fuchi-class supply vessel Weishanhu, reported that the warships assumed a live-fire drill formation before positioning a target, maneuvering and then collecting the target from the water.
No live fire, including surface-to-air, was seen.
MP Andrew Hastie, defense spokesman for the opposition Liberal Party, accused China of “gunboat diplomacy.”