cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/36941389

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Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has refused to say if Chinese warships were “targeting our cities” when they carried out exercises off Australia’s vast coast earlier this year.

The Australian Defence Force revealed in February it was tracking two People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) frigates and a replenishment vessel in the Coral Sea, off Queensland.

They passed within 150 nautical miles (278km) east of Sydney as they moved south and conducted live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea without notifying Canberra or air traffic controllers.

The Albanese government has kept tight-lipped on what the Chinese flotilla’s mission was, even amid fears AUKUS could be on the rocks, Australia trailing its allies in defence spending and warnings Beijing poses an “imminent” threat to the region.

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