Australian warships have encountered the Chinese navy in the South China Sea sailing close to contested islands claimed by Beijing.
Australian warships have encountered the Chinese navy in the South China Sea sailing close to contested islands claimed by Beijing. The Australian warships, led by HMAS Canberra, were transiting through the increasingly tense region as they made their way to the Philippine Sea for training exercises with the American and Japanese navies. It is not known precisely where the Chinese military interacted with the Australian joint task group, but Defence confirmed the warships sailed near the disputed Spratly Islands.
Diplomatic tensions are currently high between China and Australia, driven by a dispute over Australia call for a Covid-19 inquiry, along with Beijing’s imposition of tariffs on Australian barley and the disagreement over the new national security law in Hong Kong.
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