New Zealand raises China’s surprise warship drills at high-level talks
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Sailors on board the Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Arunta looking at China's Fuchi-class replenishment vessel and Weishanhu Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang in the Tasman Sea on Feb 13.
PHOTO: AFP
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BEIJING - New Zealand used high-level talks in Beijing to raise concerns about the surprise deployment of Chinese warships off its western coast, said Foreign Minister Winston Peters on Feb 27.
Dozens of commercial flights were forced to divert last week
Both nations have criticised China for springing the drills with little warning – Australian officials said a last-minute alert was broadcast on a channel unchecked by air controllers.
Mr Peters said he raised “the failure to give us adequate notice” at a meeting with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in Beijing on Feb 26.
“We did place on record our concern, and the expectation that we will have a better warning in the future,” Mr Peters told reporters after the meeting. “I think it would be true to say that he took our concerns on board.”
New Zealand also raised the importance of international rules underpinning stability in the region, Mr Peters added in a statement released on Feb 27. “Our region and the world are facing a myriad of challenges, including increased tensions in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.”
Australia and close ally New Zealand have been monitoring the vessels – a frigate, cruiser and supply tanker – since they were detected in international waters off Australia last week.
Officials said 49 commercial flights were forced to divert around the live-firing zone on Feb 21.
Australia said the drills took place in international waters, and has conceded that China’s conduct abided by international law.
China has defended its conduct as “safe, standard and professional”.
“We noticed Australia and New Zealand repeatedly said China’s PLA (People’s Liberation Army) operations are in line with international law, we think this shows there is no problem,” China’s Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian told a briefing in Beijing on Feb 27.
He did not directly address questions about whether more Tasman Sea drills could be expected, or whether Australia and New Zealand would get more timely warnings in future.
The warships were 350 nautical miles north-east of Australia’s Bass Strait on the morning of Feb 25, New Zealand’s defence force said. AFP, REUTERS
