A group of Chinese navy vessels, including a warship, stirred alarm in Australia and New Zealand as they sailed within 150 nautical miles of Sydney without an announced mission. Australian officials have been monitoring these vessels since they were spotted off the northeast coast. Defense Minister Richard Marles noted that while the presence of Chinese navy ships is not unheard of, it is typically unusual. He reiterated that the vessels were operating under international law. The Chinese military has not responded to inquiries regarding the mission of these ships.
The presence of the Chinese navy in the area was not unprecedented, but unusual. We are keeping close watch on them, and we will be making sure that we watch every move.
Australian officials said they were closely monitoring the ships... They have been tracking them since last week, when they were detected off Australia's northeast coast.
Richard Marles, Australia's defense minister, said that the ships were operating in accordance with international law, and that the Australian military was closely observing their activities from the sea and from the air.
This week, the three ships were traveling within about 150 nautical miles of Sydney, outside Australia's territorial waters but within its exclusive economic zone.
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