China rebukes Australia for claims on PLA live-fire drills near its coast
scmp.com —
China has criticized Australia for exaggerating concerns over recent live-fire drills conducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) near its coast. The Chinese defense ministry stated that Australia's claims about insufficient notice are inaccurate. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles expressed concerns about the short notice given for the PLA exercise, which he said disrupted commercial aviation. He noted that Australia typically provides 12 to 24 hours of notice for similar activities. In response, a Chinese defense spokesman clarified that the PLA's training area is located far from Australia's coastline and is in international waters.