SYDNEY: A US Coast Guard cutter crossing the Tasman Sea as part of maritime security cooperation with Australia and New Zealand knew Chinese naval ships were in the area but had no interaction with them, its commanding officer said on Tuesday (Feb 25).
China’s navy held live-fire exercises on Friday and Saturday in international waters between Australia and New Zealand that Australian officials have described as unprecedented. The drills forced airlines to change the paths of 49 commercial flights for safety reasons.
The movements of the People’s Liberation Army Navy frigate, cruiser and refuelling vessel involved are being monitored by Australian and New Zealand defence forces.
The US Coast Guard national security cutter Midgett arrived in port in Sydney on Saturday from New Zealand.
“We were aware of their presence,” Captain Matthew Rooney, commanding officer of the Midgett, told reporters in Sydney of the Chinese ships on Tuesday.
“It did not affect our operations. We follow international norms, regulations for preventing collisions at sea and we had no encounters and we would expect the Chinese navy to do the same,” he added.
Euan Graham, senior analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said it was the furthest south the Chinese navy had held exercises, and showed China did not need a naval base in the South Pacific to project power.
China was likely testing the diplomatic resolve of Australia, New Zealand and Australia’s security ally the United States, he said.
“This is a clear signal that China doesn’t feel deterred from operating close by (the US’s) closest Pacific ally,” he said.
