Australia learned about Chinese marine maneuvers from a pilot

The navy of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has carried out an unprecedented firepower display in the waters between Australia and New Zealand, which caused worrying reactions in both countries. Australian officials reported that the first warning about the Chinese exercises in the Tasmanian Sea on Friday through a radio transmission on an emergency channel that a passenger plane from Virgin Australia monitored.

short -term warning and its consequences

The Pilot of Virgin transmitted the information to the Australian aviation authorities, which then published a “dangerous warning” about air traffic control, as Rob Sharp, CEO from AirServices Australia, explained in a parliamentary hearing. At least 49 aircraft had to change their flight routes on Friday to escape the fleet of three Chinese warships that carried out the exercises. The governments of New Zealand and Australia stated that China had not made an official message (Notam) about the exercises that took place in the Tasmanian Sea on two days.

reactions and diplomatic tensions

The Chinese Ministry of Defense said on Sunday that the exercises had taken place in international waters and were in accordance with international law. In addition, Australia was criticized for the "buzzing" of the exercises and for "unreasonable accusations". Marc Schuster, a former Captain of the US Navy, made it clear and said: "Dealing aircraft from her internationally recognized routes is considered insecure and irresponsible." The Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese added that although the exercises were in accordance with international law, China could have been given more advance. ”

international air traffic safety and military exercises

The warning for civil aviation flights only reached the authorities a few hours before the exercises, which according to Judith Collins, Minister of Defense New Zealand, does not meet the best practices. "We would have preferred a warning of 12 to 24 hours," she said on the radio. The experts warn that caution is required in such situations. Byron Bailey, a former captain of the Emirates Airlines, explained that it was standard procedure not to fly over a military area of application.

global comparability of military exercises

The PLA Navy ships-a frigate, a destroyer of Type 055 and a supply vehicle-patrolled the Australian coast since mid-February. Collins noticed that this type of Chinese naval exercises in these waters were without precedent, while such maneuvers are normality worldwide, including Australia and its allies in the South China Sea. "Australia does this in our missions and we should avoid to overlap," said the analyst Jennifer Parker.

provocations and the perspective of Chinas

Some Chinese Internet users commented on social media and saw the PLA Navy exercise as a kind of power demonstration. "Our 055 came to Australia for live fire exercises and they carried them out twice," someone wrote on Weibo. However, Bailey believes that it was actually China that was provocative and described the exercises as "unprofessional and deliberately disrespectful".