Chinese warships’ live fire warning forces planes to divert between Australia, NZ

“It is the case that the notice was given, and when that occurs airlines are notified and stay out of the area,” he told reporters.

Albanese said Defence Force Chief David Johnston had advised him it was unclear whether any live fire was actually used by the Chinese navy, even though it had given warning it would conduct live fire exercises.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she would discuss the exercises with the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi at the foreign ministers’ G20 meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“We already have [discussed this] at official level in relation to the notice given and the transparency provided in relation to these exercises, particularly the live fire exercises,” she told the ABC.

Asked why Airservices Australia was telling commercial pilots not to fly over the area, Wong described the incident as “an evolving situation”.

Defence sources said the military training event, which occurred around 640 kilometres east of the NSW South Coast, caused “significant disruption” because of the limited notice period and impact on commercial flights.

The sources said the Chinese military informed Australian authorities on Friday they would be conducting live fire exercises later that day, prompting the speedy establishment of an 18 kilometre airspace protection zone up to a height of 45,000 feet.

Up to three commercial aircraft were diverted from their planned routes because of the ships’ activity, Defence sources said.

Crew on the NZ frigate HMNZS Te Kaha, which was shadowing the Chinese ships, reported observing behaviour “consistent with a live fire activity” and monitored the Chinese ships deploying and recovering a floating target.

The NZ crew did not report observing any fires on the target and said there was no indication of any surface-to-air firing.

“This is more about disruption caused rather than risk,” a Defence source said, adding the exercises did not breach international law.

But Defence sources said the Australian navy would give 24 to 48 hours notice of similar exercises and would avoid areas with significant commercial air and sea travel.

The federal government has requested additional information from the Chinese defence attaché in Canberra and with authorities in Beijing.

A spokeswoman for Airservices Australia said the organisation was “aware of reports of live firing in international waters”.

“As a precaution, we have advised airlines with flights planned in the area,” she said. “We are also working together to coordinate advice to operators and pilots.”

Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie branded the Chinese military’s exercises a “provocation”, saying Beijing was using “gunboat diplomacy to test US allies like Australia”.

“When will the Prime Minister and his Defence Minister stand up for the Australian national interest and insist on mutual respect from their Chinese counterparts?” he asked.

Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Justin Bassi said Beijing was testing Australia’s resolve with such behaviour.

“Yes it’s legal but it’s clearly an intimidatory gesture,” he said of the exercises.

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“China is looking for us either to be hypocritical and overreact, or be submissive by being silent. Australia’s interests are in acknowledging our relationship with China is an unstable, not a stable one.”

Former senior defence official Michael Shoebridge blasted the Chinese navy for what he called a “deliberately provocative, aggressive act”.

“There is no rational reason for the PLA to be conducting live fire exercises in the waters between Australia and New Zealand except to send a message of intimidation, aggression and provocation”.

Such exercises could quickly become unsafe given the warships are packed with surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles, he said.

“The government needs to tell Beijing that there cannot be a stabilised relationship when this is happening,” he said.

The ADF revealed last week that an Australian maritime patrol aircraft was involved in “an unsafe and unprofessional interaction” with the Chinese military while conducting a routine maritime surveillance patrol in the South China Sea.

The ADF said in a statement on Wednesday night it was “monitoring the People’s Liberation Army-Navy Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai-class cruiser named Zunyi and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu, which continue to operate to the east of Australia”.

Defence Minister Richard Marles earlier said the government had deployed air and sea assets to shadow the Chinese ships, describing the flotilla’s behaviour as “unusual” but not necessarily unprecedented.