A Chinese intelligence ship tracked off the coast of Western Australia is an “act of aggression” by Beijing, Australian Minister for Defence Peter Dutton said yesterday, in the latest pre-election warning about China’s military intentions.
Australia had tracked the spy ship over the past week as it sailed past the Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt at Exmouth, which is used by Australian, US and allied submarines.
“I think it is an act of aggression. I think particularly because it has come so far south,” Dutton told a news conference in Perth.
Photo: AFP / Australian Defence Force
In the run-up to federal elections on Saturday next week, with the government trailing in opinion polls, Dutton has been warning voters not to trust the opposition Labor Party with Australia’s security.
Dutton said the vessel had been sailing close to the coastline for the “last week or so.”
Although he said that he could not reveal when Australia became aware of the ship for “operational reasons,” a defense ministry statement showed that it had been tracking the Dongdiao Class Auxiliary Intelligence ship named Haiwangxing since Friday last week.
Australia’s air force was monitoring the ship, which had entered the country’s exclusive economic zone, he said.
The zone extends beyond Australia’s territorial waters and the government has previously said it accepts that Chinese spy ships can operate there.
“Its intention, of course, is to collect intelligence right along the coastline, and it has been in close proximity to military and intelligence installations,” Dutton said.
He said it was “unusual” in the way that it had sailed so far south and was hugging the coastline.
He provided a map of the ship’s route and video of the vessel, saying he was speaking about the spy ship “because it is best to be honest and open with the Australian public.”
He also took the opportunity to warn voters not to support opposition Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese.
“It is a huge risk of this election not to go to Mr Albanese because they just don’t take defense seriously,” he said.
Asked about the ship sighting, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian (趙立堅) yesterday said he had no information about the specific situation, but that “China always abides by international law and international practice.”
“The relevant Australian politician should see the relevant situation objectively and calmly, and not make sensational remarks,” Zhao told reporters at a daily news briefing.
Additional reporting by AP
REMINDER: Of the 6.78 million doses of flu vaccine Taiwan purchased for this flu season, about 200,000 are still available, an official said, following Big S’ death As news broke of the death of Taiwanese actress and singer Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛), also known as Big S (大S), from severe flu complications, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and doctors yesterday urged people at high risk to get vaccinated and be alert to signs of severe illness. Hsu’s family yesterday confirmed that the actress died on a family holiday in Japan due to pneumonia during the Lunar New Year holiday. CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) told an impromptu news conference that hospital visits for flu-like illnesses from Jan. 19 to Jan. 25 reached 162,352 — the highest
COMBINING FORCES: The 66th Marine Brigade would support the 202nd Military Police Command in its defense of Taipei against ‘decapitation strikes,’ a source said The Marine Corps has deployed more than 100 soldiers and officers of the 66th Marine Brigade to Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) as part of an effort to bolster defenses around the capital, a source with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. Two weeks ago, a military source said that the Ministry of National Defense ordered the Marine Corps to increase soldier deployments in the Taipei area. The 66th Marine Brigade has been tasked with protecting key areas in Taipei, with the 202nd Military Police Command also continuing to defend the capital. That came after a 2017 decision by the ministry to station
TRIP TO TAIWAN: The resumption of group tours from China should be discussed between the two agencies tasked with handling cross-strait tourism, the MAC said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday reassured China-based businesspeople that he would follow former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) cross-strait policy to facilitate healthy and orderly exchanges with Beijing and build a resilient economy. “As president, I have three missions. First, I will follow president Tsai’s ‘four commitments’ to ensure that the country continues to exist and survive,” Lai told participants at a Lunar New Year event in Taipei hosted by the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF). Lai said his second mission is to uphold the “four pillars of peace” by bolstering national defense, developing a growing and resilient economy, building partnerships with
‘INVESTMENT’: Rubio and Arevalo said they discussed the value of democracy, and Rubio thanked the president for Guatemala’s strong diplomatic relationship with Taiwan Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Guatemala City on Wednesday where they signed a deal for Guatemala to accept migrants deported from the US, while Rubio commended Guatemala for its support for Taiwan and said the US would do all it can to facilitate greater Taiwanese investment in Guatemala. Under the migrant agreement announced by Arevalo, the deportees would be returned to their home countries at US expense. It is the second deportation deal that Rubio has reached during a Central America trip that has been focused mainly on immigration. Arevalo said his