Australia and New Zealand monitor Chinese warships off east coast

The Australian and New Zealand militaries are monitoring three Chinese warships moving south along Australia's east coast. This unusual deployment follows the ships' passage through Southeast Asia and the Coral Sea, with their current location reported to be 150 nautical miles east of Sydney. Defense Minister Richard Marles stated that the Chinese vessels are operating in international waters within Australia's exclusive economic zone. He emphasized that while the Chinese ships are entitled to be there, Australia is closely monitoring their activities. Australia is coordinating with Papua New Guinea and New Zealand regarding the situation. New Zealand's Defense Minister confirmed that their military is also monitoring the Chinese ships, but no information has been provided by China about the mission's purpose or future plans.