Australia's Defense Minister Richard Marles has characterized the presence of Chinese military vessels off the Australian coast as an 'unusual event,' while emphasizing that the ships have adhered to international maritime law. In a recent interview, Marles confirmed that Australia is closely monitoring the situation, although he noted that such occurrences are not entirely without precedent.

While acknowledging the ships' right to navigate international waters, Marles underscored Australia's corresponding right to conduct surveillance activities. The Australian Department of Defense released a statement on February 13, identifying the Chinese vessels as the Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai cruiser Zunyi, and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu. The statement detailed the ships' route through Southeast Asia before approaching Australian waters, with the Hengyang specifically transiting waters north of Australia.

The Financial Times reported that the Australian navy shadowed the Chinese ships approximately 150 nautical miles east of Sydney. New Zealand's Defense Minister, Judith Collins, confirmed that their military is also monitoring the situation in collaboration with Australia. A spokesperson for the New Zealand Defence Force reiterated this, adding that various assets have been deployed alongside Australian counterparts to track the Chinese task group's movement through the Tasman Sea. Both countries have stated that they haven't received clarification from the Chinese government regarding the task group's purpose or future intentions, but emphasized the ships' compliance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

This incident follows another recent encounter where a Chinese fighter jet released flares near a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft during a routine maritime surveillance patrol in the South China Sea on February 11, 2025. The Australian Defense Department described the maneuver as “unsafe and unprofessional,” posing a risk to the aircraft and personnel, although no harm was ultimately reported.