Shock update after Chinese warships were seen conducting live fire military drills off Australia’s coastline

China gave Australia minimal warning before three of its warships began performing live fire military drills less than 300km east of Sydney. 

The Australian Defence Force revealed late on Friday that there had been no formal warning from the Chinese military. 

‘Defence is aware of Task Group 107 advising by verbal radio broadcast on a civil aircraft channel of its intent on 21 February 2025 to conduct live firing activity in the Tasman Sea, 346 nautical miles (640km) off Eden,’ the ADF said. 

‘Airservices Australia issued a Hazard Advisory.

‘The PLA-N did not inform Defence of its intent to conduct a live fire activity, and has not provided any further information.’

Chinese authorities provided a verbal radio broadcast on the Civil Aviation Channel which sparked a warning to passenger planes in the area. 

Pilots flying over the Tasman Sea were alerted by Airservices Australia just after 10am on Friday, with an Emirates flight from Sydney to Christchurch directly warned by Chinese military to change course to avoid the airspace about 11am.

The warnings remain in place with Foreign Minister Penny Wong saying it wasn’t clear how long flights would be diverted for. 

Ms Wong has met with her counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi to press him over why Australia was given such minimal warning. 

Defence Minister Richard Marles called for calm on Saturday morning. 

‘What we had yesterday was the notification of a live firing event. It’s not clear whether that actually occurred in terms of the live firing itself, but the notification was very short, which meant that there were planes in the air which needed to divert around the airspace,’ he told Weekend Today. 

‘It was for a period of time which has now elapsed. We’re working with Airservices Australia to make sure that the proper information is being given to airlines that are doing the trans-Tasman route, and they’re able to plan to move around this so there’s not going to be any disruption to flights between Australia and New Zealand today. 

‘But it was a very disconcerting set of circumstances yesterday. We’ve raised that with the Chinese government in Canberra, in Beijing and our foreign minister raised this with her counterpart, Minister Wang Yi, the foreign minister of China.

‘This time we are taking a much more serious step in terms of both naval and Air Force assets and working with our partners in the region, particularly New Zealand.’

The Australian Navy has deployed two vessels to shadow the Chinese naval task group, which consist of a frigate, a cruiser, and a supply ship.

It’s the furthest south Beijing’s navy has ventured along Australia’s eastern coastline.

Ms Wong said countries can conduct military exercises in international waters. 

‘The advice to me is this is what China is doing,’ she said on Friday. 

‘When they conduct those exercises, obviously, notice is provided to ensure that is available to anyone in the area and that is what Airservices Australia is doing. 

‘We always express that all countries should comply with the law of the sea and that is what we will always be articulating to China. 

‘As the Foreign Minister, what I need to articulate is Australia’s interests are in transparency and the observance of international law.’

Defence first revealed last week that the Chinese navy was being watched in the Coral Sea, north east of Queensland, in Australia’s exclusive economic zone.

Authorities were monitoring two People’s Liberation Army-navy (PLA-N) frigates and a replenishment vessel as they conducted military exercises. 

The vessels have since moved 346 nautical miles off Eden, off NSW’s south coast. 

Defence Minister of New Zealand, Judith Collins, said it was a wake-up call for her country that graphical isolation no longer offered protection.