‘What is the Chinese Navy doing this towards the south?’

Representative image (Figure Credit: AP)

Australia and New Zealand are observing a Chinese Navy Task Force in Tasman Sea vigilance, expressing disagreements about the unexplained presence of warships in abnormally southern water.
Initiating the Chinese fleet, a Renny-Class Cruiser, a frigate and a supply ship, initially it was seen last week near the northeastern coasts of Australia, later at a distance of 150 knots in the east of Sydney, regional Outside water, but within its special economic zone, as reported. financial Times.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marls mentioned that while the Chinese ships were working within the legal limit, their activities were in close observation.
“We are keeping a close watch on them, and we will ensure that we see every step,” Marls said in a television interview. He noticed that the presence of the Chinese Navy in the region is not unprecedented, the ships of this caliber are rarely ventured to the south.
New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins voiced his concerns about the lack of communication by the Chinese government about the objectives of the mission and future plans. “We have not been informed by the Chinese government as to why this work group has been deployed in our area, and we are not according to New Zealand Herald, Collins told reporters in Wellington, what are its future plans.
One of the vessels, Zuni, is a Renny-Class Cruiser described by the US Naval Institute which is “one of the most combined warships.” According to Colin Koh, a senior partner at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, the deployment of such a heavy armed vessel suggests that China is demonstrating its naval power.
“It is not going to be forced to indicate the PLA naval movements and tasks to indicate for Australia and the United States,” Koh said according to the New York Times.
Last week, a Chinese fighter Jet had an stressful encounter with an Australian surveillance aircraft on the South China Sea. Australian defense forces accused China of “unsafe and unprofessional” conduct, while China claimed that Australia was engaged in provocation.
In September, China launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that landed in the Pacific Ocean, a step that Judith Colins contributed to growing regional tensions.
Maritime Security Expert said in a strutting from La Trobe University that China’s movement could be an indication about an intelligence-acted operation or its growing naval appearance to Australia.
“What is the Chinese Navy doing towards the south? This is causing concern. Is this intelligence information? Is it really a sign for Australia that Chinese are also capable of Navy in these areas?” The New York Times quoted strutting.
Australia and New Zealand response
The Australian Defense Force is monitoring ships by sea and air, while New Zealand has deployed its army to coordinate monitoring efforts with Australia.
A spokesman for Australia’s Defense Department was quoted by Newsweek that Australia respects the rights of all states to work in international water, it is cautious about China’s growing naval access.
The spokesperson said, “Australia respects the rights of all states that in international law and international law, especially in the United Nations Convention, use the freedom of navigation in international water and airspace in the convention of the United Nations.”
So far, it is not clear how long Chinese naval work group Tasman will remain in the ocean or where it is moving forward. The Chinese state media has previously referred to similar missions in the Pacific Ocean as a “fighter drill of distant-community”.
Judith Collins of New Zealand described the presence of highly capable Chinese warships as a “significant” development in the south so far, saying that both Australia and New Zealand would continue joint monitoring efforts.