Australia and close ally New Zealand have been monitoring three Chinese navy vessels -- a frigate, a cruiser and a supply tanker -- since they were spotted in international waters last week.
“This was very disconcerting for the planes,“ which had to change course, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said hours after the incident.
Australia’s Department of Defence issued a statement late Friday saying any live firing by the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) has “most likely ceased”.
Australian forces would monitor the Chinese ships while they remain near the country’s “maritime approaches”, the department said.
Beijing described the manoeuvres as training exercises that were “safe, standard and professional” and in line with international law, without commenting on whether live ammunition was used.
It was the latest in a string of tense encounters between China and Australia in the increasingly contested airspace and shipping lanes of the Asia-Pacific region.
A Chinese fighter jet was accused of intercepting an Australian Seahawk helicopter in international airspace in 2024, dropping flares across its flight path.
The Australian government says it respects the right of all states to pass through international waters and airspace.
The United States and its allies including Australia frequently cross through the 180-kilometre (112-mile) Taiwan Strait to reinforce its status as an international waterway, angering China, which claims jurisdiction over the waters.
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