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China rejects reports of ‘challenging’ Australia warships

Friday, 20 April 2018 9:33 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 20 April 2018 10:12 AM ]

HMAS Success (seen) was reported by Australian media to have been one of the ships “challenged” by the Chinese military. China rejected that claim. (File photo)

China has rejected claims that Chinese naval vessels “challenged” Australian warships in a recent development in the South China Sea.

Australian media reported on Friday that a group of Australian warships had been “challenged” by China’s military earlier this month, without offering more details.

China’s Defense Ministry published a response on the same day, declaring that the reports by the Australian media were not accurate.

The reports in Australian media “did not accord with the facts,” it said.

“The Chinese side’s ships used professional language to communicate with the Australian side, and their operations were lawful, in compliance [with international norms], professional, and safe,” it added, noting that the development happened on Sunday.

The Australian Defense Department confirmed three ships had recently traveled to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam but declined to comment on “operational details related to ships transiting the South China Sea.”

The Australian Broadcasting Corp cited one official as saying that the exchanges with the Chinese navy were polite but “robust.”

Earlier, Australia’s Defense Department said in a statement emailed to Reuters that its forces had “maintained a robust programme of international engagement with countries in and around the South China Sea for decades.”

“As they have done for many decades, Australian vessels and aircraft will continue to exercise rights under international law to freedom of navigation and overflight, including in the South China Sea,” the Defense Department said.

Trade commodities worth of trillions of dollars annually pass through the mineral-rich South China Sea, where security is provided by China’s Navy.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying (grab image from Reuters video)

“If Australia is referring to freedom of navigation in accordance with international laws, there is no problem whatsoever,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying in her daily news briefing in Beijing.

“But if Australia has other motives, we hope it can see the trend in the South China Sea is stable and improving, and work together with China and other neighboring countries for the peace and stability of the region,” she added.

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