China Chides Australia For Reaction To Live-Fire Naval Drills

By Bloomberg News

Feb 22, 2025 (Bloomberg) –China rejected any suggestion from Australia that it failed to be transparent in conducting live-fire naval drills on Friday and Saturday in international waters in the Tasman Sea.

The exercises sparked concern in Australia and New Zealand, which had earlier dispatched vessels and aircraft to monitor the three Chinese warships involved. The drills caused some commercial airlines to divert flights and drew guarded comments from the prime ministers of the two smaller economies.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday that China had acted within international law, but that “it would be appropriate to have been given more warning of this potential event taking place.” Australia also undertakes activities in international waters and international airspace, he said.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong pressed her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to be more transparent about the actions of the ships, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

When asked about any lack of transparency, Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesman Wu Qian said the Australian side was “completely inconsistent with the facts,” according to a statement on Sunday. He added that Australia had “deliberately hyped it up.”

…