Australia is closely monitoring Chinese military ships traversing waters off its coast, according to Richard Marles, Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense. Marles mentioned in an interview that the Chinese ships have been abiding by international law, although he characterized the situation as unusual but not unprecedented.
Marles emphasized that while the Chinese ships have the right to be in international waters, Australia also has the right to surveil them. The Australian Department of Defense confirmed the presence of a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) task group, including a Jiangkai-class frigate named Hengyang, a Renhai cruiser named Zunyi, and a Fuchi-class replenishment vessel named Weishanhu.
