Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed concerns to her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Friday over a lack of sufficient notice regarding a rare live-fire exercise conducted by the Chinese navy in international waters between Australia and New Zealand. The sudden announcement forced several airlines to reroute flights to avoid the area.

Airlines including Qantas, Emirates, and Air New Zealand adjusted their flight paths on Friday after China broadcasted a message indicating that its naval forces would conduct live-fire drills off the coast of New South Wales.

Chinese Naval Movements and Live-Fire Exercise

A People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) fleet, consisting of a frigate, a cruiser, and a replenishment vessel, was detected entering Australia’s maritime approaches last week. The warships traveled south along Australia’s east coast, closely monitored by the navies and air forces of Australia and New Zealand.

On Friday, the Chinese navy broadcasted a message on a civil aviation radio channel, announcing its intent to carry out a live-fire exercise 346 nautical miles (641 km) off the Australian town of Eden, an Australian defence spokesperson confirmed.

Australia’s Department of Defence stated that no prior notification had been given by China about the drill, and no weapon firings were detected. However, a floating surface target was deployed and later retrieved by the PLA-N.

Australia and New Zealand Respond

Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles acknowledged that while China’s notification complied with international law, the short notice created challenges for commercial flights, forcing them to make rapid adjustments.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reassured reporters that the Australian Defence Force had assessed the situation and found no imminent threat to Australian or New Zealand assets. However, Australian officials noted that it is customary to provide at least 24 to 48 hours' notice for such exercises.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's Defence Minister Judith Collins confirmed that the Royal New Zealand Navy frigate Te Kaha was in the vicinity of the Chinese exercise but stated that there was no ongoing danger to New Zealand.

Airlines Take Precautions

Commercial pilots first became aware of the situation when a Chinese navy broadcast was picked up by an Emirates flight. The airline later confirmed that its Sydney-to-Christchurch flight (EK 412) slightly adjusted its route in accordance with standard industry procedures.

Air traffic control agency Airservices Australia contacted airlines to warn them about reported live-fire activity, prompting Qantas, Jetstar, Air New Zealand, and Virgin Australia to modify their flight paths to ensure safety.

Aviation risk assessment group OPSGROUP described the live-fire drill as unusual for the Tasman Sea region.

Growing Tensions in the Region

This naval drill comes just days after Australia lodged a complaint over what it called “unsafe and unprofessional” actions by a Chinese fighter jet, which intercepted an Australian maritime patrol aircraft over the South China Sea. Beijing, in response, accused the Australian aircraft of intruding into Chinese airspace.

China continues to reject the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which found that its territorial claims in the South China Sea lack legal basis under international law.

Amid these geopolitical tensions, Wong and Wang met on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Johannesburg to discuss "safe and professional military conduct", underscoring the delicate balance in diplomatic and defense relations between Canberra and Beijing.