Penny Wong Accuses Coalition of ‘Gunboat Diplomacy’ as Chinese Warships Enter Great Australian Bight

• Feb 28, 2025

Senate Estimates Clash Over Chinese Live-Fire Drills

Three Chinese warships have entered the Great Australian Bight, triggering a heated debate in Senate estimates, where Foreign Minister Penny Wong accused the Coalition of inflaming tensions for political gain. The dispute erupted as opposition senator James Paterson questioned whether Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was fully briefed on the Chinese military's live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea last week.

During the contentious hearing on Thursday, Wong pushed back against Paterson’s assertions, accusing the Coalition of using national security as a political tool. She condemned the opposition’s rhetoric, stating that some politicians appeared to be implying Australia was at fault for China’s failure to provide advance warning of the drills.

“We now see gunboat diplomacy being added to the litany of war talk from the opposition,” Wong said. “Such rhetoric does not make Australia safer.”

Paterson, however, argued that Albanese had mischaracterized the actions of the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) task group and insisted on greater transparency.

“It is in the public interest to understand why the prime minister has repeatedly inaccurately described the behavior of a PLAN task group in our region,” he said.

China’s Live-Fire Drills Caught Civilian Flights Off Guard

The controversy stems from China’s failure to provide prior notice of its live-fire exercises last Friday. The first warning came not from Chinese authorities but from a Virgin Australia flight, whose pilot was informed mid-air by Chinese naval forces that a live-fire drill was underway. The aircraft was forced to alter its course immediately.

Following the pilot’s alert, AirServices Australia issued a hazard warning covering an 18-kilometer radius up to 45,000 feet. Over the weekend, 49 commercial flights were forced to reroute to avoid the area.

Both Australia and New Zealand have since raised concerns with Chinese officials, arguing that the lack of advance notice was disruptive and potentially hazardous, even though the drills were conducted legally in international waters.

New Zealand’s navy frigate Te Kaha had been monitoring the Chinese flotilla at the time but only relayed its alert to Australia an hour after the Virgin flight’s warning. The NZ Defence Force later stated:

“HMNZS Te Kaha’s primary focus when the live-firing notification occurred was ensuring the safety of all vessels and aircraft in the area, including civilian ships and aircraft. Civilian authorities were able to share information that enabled those aircraft to take appropriate action.”

Both Australia and New Zealand have criticized China’s handling of the situation, with officials emphasizing that best practices dictate a warning period of 12 to 48 hours to allow for precautionary measures.

Diplomatic Reactions and Ongoing Monitoring

Wong, who met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in South Africa this week, said she conveyed Australia’s deep concerns over the lack of notice. Similarly, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters, currently in Beijing for talks, also raised the issue with Wang.

“This is a failure in [the NZ-China relationship] at this time, and we’d like to have it corrected in the future,” Peters told reporters. “That is something which we believe is under consideration.”

Meanwhile, the Chinese flotilla—consisting of the frigate Hengyang, the cruiser Zunyi, and the replenishment vessel Weishanhu—was last reported approximately 500km west of Hobart as it moved further into the Great Australian Bight. It is under surveillance by two New Zealand naval ships and Australian P8-A Poseidon aircraft.

Possible Submarine Presence?

Adding to the tension, Australia’s Chief of Defence Force, Admiral David Johnston, suggested the possibility that the flotilla might be accompanied by an undetected nuclear submarine.

“I don’t know whether there is a submarine with them. It is possible: task groups occasionally do deploy with submarines, but not always. I can’t be definitive on whether that’s the case,” Johnston told Senate estimates on Wednesday.

The Chinese warships remain under close watch as regional security concerns continue to dominate political discourse in Australia and New Zealand.