Australian minister says China spy ship route ‘aggressive’

The latest in a series of pre-election warnings about Beijing’s military intentions came from Australia’s defense minister on Friday, who warned a Chinese surveillance ship was traveling off the west coast on an “aggressive” approach.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has warned Australians not to trust the opposition Labor Party with Australia’s security in the run-up to the May 21 federal elections, with the government lagging in opinion polls.

Dutton held a press conference in Perth to announce that a Chinese surveillance ship had been sailing near to the West Australian coast for the “past week or so.”

For “operational concerns,” the minister said he couldn’t say when Australia first learned about the ship. However, according to a statement released by the military ministry, it was tracked from May 6 to 13.

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 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.

The defense minister said it was “unusual” in the way that it had sailed so far south and was hugging the coastline.

– PM says he can change –
“I think that it is an aggressive act and I think particularly because it has come so far south,” Dutton said.

The defense minister revealed a route map and footage of the surveillance ship, which was identified as the Haiwangxing, a Dongdiao-class auxiliary intelligence ship.

Dutton explained that he was discussing the spy ship “because it is best, to be honest, and forthright with the Australian public.”

However, he used the occasion to caution voters against voting for opposition Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese: “It is a major danger of this election not to vote for Mr. Albanese because they just do not take defense seriously.”

A Chinese spy ship was observed in Australia’s exclusive economic zone off the coast of Darwin last November.

“They can be in those areas, just like we can be in the South China Sea. And so, we don’t make an argument about that,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at the time.

Morrison declared Friday that if re-elected, he will improve his own behavior, as he struggles to close the polling gap with Labor.

During the pandemic, the prime minister stated he was “a bit of a bulldozer” in getting things done.

“As we go into this next period on the other side of this election, I know there are things that are going to have to change with the way I do things because we are moving into a different time,” Morrison said.