Passenger jets forced to divert after Chinese warships start live firing exercise
China and Taiwan clashed earlier this week after a Canadian military ship sailed through the Taiwan Strait
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Pilots diverted commercial airline planes after Chinese warships started a live firing exercise.
Airservices Australia issued a warning to airlines about the potential dangers off the New South Wales coast.
Qantas, Virgin and Emirates pilots flying over the Tasman Sea were reported to have had to change course.
A People’s Liberation Army Navy frigate, cruiser and replenishment vessel last week entered Australia’s maritime approaches, and travelled down Australia’s east coast this week, monitored by the navies and air forces of Australia and New Zealand.
“The Civil Aviation Authority and Airservices Australia are aware of reports of live firing in international waters,” air traffic control agency Airservices Australia said in a statement on Friday.
“As a precaution, we have advised airlines with flights planned in the area,” it added.
Qantas and its low-cost arm Jetstar were monitoring the airspace and temporarily adjusted some flights across the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the live fire involved the Chinese task group and it was an evolving situation.
“It is, as I understand it, operating in international waters,” she said.
“We will be discussing this with the Chinese, and we already have at officials level, in relation to the notice given and the transparency, that has been provided in relation to these exercises, particularly the live fire exercises.”
The Sydney Morning Herald reported China had notified Australian authorities on Friday they would hold an exercise off the coast of New South Wales state.
Just days ago, Taiwan’s defence ministry stressed that the Taiwan Strait does not belong to China and any attempts to create tension threaten global security.
The statement was issued after Beijing criticised Canada for sailing a warship through the sensitive waterway.
The US Navy and occasionally ships from allied countries like Canada, Britain and France transit the strait, which they consider an international waterway, around once a month.
Taiwan also considers it an international waterway but China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, says the strategic waterway belongs to it.
Just weeks ago the first US Navy ships transited the strait since President Donald Trump took office last month, drawing an angry reaction from China, which said the mission increased security risks.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said China had responded to those sailings by carrying out “joint combat readiness patrols.”
“The Taiwan Strait is absolutely not within the scope of China’s sovereignty,” the ministry said in a statement.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited China last autumn as the UK seeks to build economic ties while recognising the threats from Xi Jinping’s increasingly authoritarian regime.