Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has insisted there is no need for alarm after a Chinese spy ship was spotted in waters off the Australian coast.
The lurking ship was seen entering the Coral Sea off the Queensland coast this week, but was “acting in accordance with international law,” Marles said.
The massive ship which is fully equipped with advanced technology is believed to be 30,000km offshore when Australia began its Talisman Saber military exercises in Sydney on Friday.
The exercises involve 30,000 soldiers from 13 countries in the country’s largest training extravaganza that will continue for the next two weeks.
Marles told Weekend Today that he took solace in the fact that there has always been a Chinese ship watching since the training began in 2013.
There is no need to be alarmed after a Chinese spy ship (pictured) was seen in the waters near a military exercise, according to the deputy premier.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the lurking ship is “acting in accordance with international law” as it was seen entering the Coral Sea off the Queensland coast.
The mission comes first and the country must focus on the training itself, according to Mr. Marles.
“They act in accordance with international law, so this is to be expected,” Marles said Saturday.
“For us, it’s really about our ability and our ability and it’s very much about our ability to work with other countries, our friends and allies, and particularly the United States.”
The spy ship was first spotted by the Australian military on Friday, who announced to the public that they had confirmed its location and country of origin.
Senior officers involved in the training also confirmed that the sight of the ship was neither remarkable nor routine, according to the ADF’s head of Joint Operations, Lt. Gen. Greg Bilton.
“No, look, they’ve come before and look, I’ll tell you now, there’s one off the east coast of Australia right now,” Lt. Gen. Bilton said during the Talisman Saber opening ceremony.
“We reached out on Thursday and called that ship in the Coral Sea. She will either move down I hope, and either join the drill, or be back at the drill location.
“They’ve been doing this for a number of years, we’re well prepared for it.”
Lieutenant General Bilton did not reveal the name or class of the Chinese ship during his speech.
The vice premier stressed that the exercises were not a mock war against China or any other nation, but a cooperative operation between allies.
“You don’t have a capable Defense Force unless you’re fit and you’re not fit unless you train,” Marles said.
“It’s the most important exercise we do, in terms of certifying all the capabilities and skills that exist within the Australian Defense Force.”
The huge foreign ship that is fully equipped with advanced technology is believed to be 30,000 km offshore when Australia began its Talisman Saber military exercises.
The exercises engage 30,000 soldiers from 13 nations in the nation’s largest training extravaganza that will continue for the next two weeks.
Marles said he was also not concerned that the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine deal would fall through as it moves through the US Senate.
“I have been informed of exactly what is happening in Congress,” he said in the WT interview.
“I think this is pretty normal, in terms of the way that legislation proceeds through Congress.”
The USS Canberra was the first US Navy ship commissioned outside the country for the Talisman Sabre, which was launched on Saturday.
Australia is joined in the exercises by Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Tonga, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Philippines, Singapore and Thailand also have in-country staff who attend as observers.
