A Chinese intelligence ship has been spotted off Australia’s west coast within 50 nautical miles of a sensitive defense facility, Australia said on Friday, raising campaigning concerns about China’s assertive behavior in the region. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Chinese naval vessel was not in Australian territorial waters but its presence was “worrying”.
“It’s clearly an intelligence ship and they’re looking at us and we’re keeping a close eye on them,” he told reporters. Australia had been tracking the spy ship last week as it passed the Harold E. Holt naval communications station in Exmouth, which is used by Australian, US and allied submarines.
The Chinese embassy did not respond
China’s embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Australia’s general election will be held on May 21 and the issue of a Chinese national security threat was a key campaign issue. “I think it’s an act of aggression. I think especially because it’s come so far south,” Defense Secretary Peter Dutton said at a news conference. “It was in close proximity to military and intelligence installations on the west coast of Australia. “
Relations between the two main trading partners have been strained in recent years over various issues including Chinese influence in Australia and the Pacific region. Dutton questioned the “odd timing” of the ship’s appearance, although Home Secretary Karen Andrews declined to link it to the election campaign and Morrison said Chinese naval vessels had previously been off the Australian coast, according to the government.
Chinese naval vessels have been spotted off Australia’s north and east coasts on several occasions in recent years, and the same Chinese vessel monitored Australian naval exercises with the US military off the east coast last year. In February, China and Australia exchanged allegations over an incident in which Australia said one of its sea patrol planes detected a laser aimed at it from a People’s Liberation Army (PLAN) ship.
On the latest incident, Australia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that the Dongdiao-class auxiliary intelligence vessel Haiwangxing sailed down the west coast on April 6. attacking Australia’s national interests as an act of bridge building or friendship,” Morrison said.
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