Australia and New Zealand monitor three Chinese warships off east coast

The Australian and New Zealand militaries are monitoring three Chinese warships off Australia's east coast. This follows the ships' unusual journey from Southeast Asia, 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 ships are entitled to be there, Australia is closely monitoring their activities. New Zealand's military is also tracking the Chinese ships in coordination with Australia. Both countries have not received information from China regarding the mission or future plans of the warships.