China has rejected Australia’s concerns over its recent live-fire naval exercises, calling them “hyped up” and “inconsistent with the facts.”
Beijing’s Defence Ministry dismissed the complaints on Saturday after Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles criticized China for providing insufficient notice ahead of the drills, which took place in international waters between Australia and New Zealand. Marles argued that the short notice forced airlines to reroute flights and said China had not provided a satisfactory explanation.
In response, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian defended the exercises, stating in an official post that China had issued multiple safety notices in advance. He insisted the drills complied fully with international law and posed no threat to aviation safety.
“Australia, fully knowing this, made unreasonable accusations against China and deliberately hyped it up,” Qian said. “We are deeply surprised and strongly dissatisfied.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand reported observing a second day of Chinese live-fire exercises and confirmed it was closely monitoring the fleet operating in the region.
The dispute underscores ongoing tensions between China and Australia, particularly regarding military activity and regional security. While Beijing maintains that its operations were lawful, Australia continues to express concerns over transparency and communication in shared international waters.
