Defence Minister Judith Collins says Chinese war ships in Tasman Sea a ‘wake-up call’

Defence Minister Judith Collins has emphasised that China is within its rights to send three navy ships to the Tasman Sea, but says they should also serve as a “wake-up call” for New Zealand’s defence systems.

Yesterday, Collins vented frustration at the Chinese Government for not informing New Zealand that it would be sending a “highly capable” strike force with “enormous strike power” down the east coast of Australia.

Today, Collins was more reserved in her comments, telling RNZ’s Morning Report that they had been aware of the fleet trajectory “a few days” and that it was a “significant” incident, but the ships were entitled to travel through international waters.

“The information that I can provide is that they’re still not that far off Sydney, about 130-150kms off Sydney.

“At the moment they’re just complying with international law, they’re entitled to do this under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“But they are certainly significant vessels and the most significant and sophisticated we’ve seen this far south.”

The strike force, comprised of three ships, came as close as 150 nautical miles – 278km – from the coast of Sydney, according to the Financial Times.

Asked what could be done if the ships head towards Auckland, Collins said “there is nothing we can do except monitor them”.

But she was reluctant to call it a “show of force” from China.

“You’d have to ask the Chinese ambassador about that, but it seems to me it’s an unusual show.”

Collins said the Chinese government and Chinese Embassy had given New Zealand no notice that it would be sending the strike force into the region.

The Prime Minister would deal with “any conversations” with the Chinese ambassador, Collins said.

Collins said she could not say whether the Government has had any communication with the Chinese government about the ships.

“I can’t answer that,” she said.

The New Zealand Government was using “highly intelligent” aircraft alongside support from Australian counterparts to monitor the ships.

Asked how concerned “the ordinary New Zealander” should be about the ships, Collins said it was a “wake-up call”.

“It’s real evidence that our distance means nothing now,” Collins said.

Collins claimed the ships were also evidence that we should not “rest easy on defence”.

The Australian Defence Force said in a statement on Wednesday night it was monitoring three ships, “the People’s Liberation Army-Navy Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai-class cruiser named Zunyi and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu”.

Last September, New Zealand exercised its rights under the Law of the Sea to sail a military ship through the Taiwan Strait, an act China can find provocative.

At the time, Collins said the HMNZS Aotearoa’s passage through the strait with an Australian vessel HMAS Sydney, was a “routine activity, consistent with international law, including the right of freedom of navigation as guaranteed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea”.

The ship was shadowed by a Chinese vessel for part of that mission.

The Chinese Embassy has been approached for comment.

Thomas Coughlan is deputy political editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.