China stands firm on controversial military exercises

China's ambassador to Australia stated that China will not apologize for recent military drills in international waters between Australia and New Zealand. The drills, which included live-fire exercises, caused 49 flights to change their routes. Ambassador Xiao Qian defended the drills, saying they complied with international law and that China provided adequate notice. He emphasized that the drills did not threaten Australia and indicated that more Chinese naval activity in the region is expected. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese downplayed the incident, noting it occurred in international waters. However, the opposition criticized the delay in the Australian Defence Force being informed about the drills, which was first reported by a commercial pilot.