While New Zealand deputy prime minister Winston Peters is scheduled to visit China on 25 February, Ms Collins revealed that officials are “seeking assurance from the Chinese embassy” regarding future activities, given the unusually short notice and the shifting nature of the formations observed during the drills.
Australian defence minister Richard Marles described the manoeuvre as “not unprecedented, but unusual”, noting that the warships were operating within Australia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) – a region where Australia holds special economic rights over marine resources, though not full sovereignty.
Michael Shoebridge, former Australian defence and security official and director of Strategic Analysis Australia, said that the maneuvers could be a calculated response to Australia’s bolstered military ties with nations such as Japan, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
However, the Chinese warning was delivered on “a couple of hours’ notice”, a timeframe deemed by New Zealand’s defence minister, Judith Collins, as far too short to allow for proper diversion planning.
Air traffic controllers were forced to establish an exclusion zone on very short notice, with Mr Sharp and his deputy stressing that such emergencies could lead to larger operational disruptions, especially given the busy air corridors that criss-cross the Tasman Sea.
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