Listen: Audio reveals Australian Navy’s communications with Chinese warships as they near Christmas Island
A trio of Chinese warships are expected to complete their circumnavigation of Australia’s coastline on Friday, with the flotilla now 777km off the remote territory of Christmas Island.
Commercial vessels in the State’s north reportedly could hear the Chinese and Australian defence ships communicating on Thursday as they passed by the stretch of coast.
“Chinese navy warship this is Australia’s navy warship, roger, out,” could be heard on audio obtained by The West Australian of the ship-to-ship communication via a VHF radio channel.
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A muffled voice can be heard at the start of the audio but no immediate response is provided by the Chinese navy crew.
The ships were understood to be at their closest point to the west of Exmouth at the time the audio was recorded on Thursday and had earlier had communicated their speed and course to the Chinese ship — a standard operation for ships maneuvering in close-range.
In a statement issued on Friday at 4.45am Perth time, Defence said the group of vessels had made it 420 nautical miles south of Christmas Island and they were continuing their monitoring operations.
Australian ships HMAS Warramunga and HMAS Stuart have shadowed the ships as part of a Defence surveillance mission, as well as a P-8 US Navy plane, known as a “sub hunter”.
In a rare flex of their navy might, a Chinese frigate, a cruiser and a replenishment vessel have voyaged around Australia for more than three weeks, staging an unprecedented live-firing exercise while in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.
Their journey and the exercise — conducted in international waters, not Australia’s — has been entirely within the rules of international law.
Perth USAsia Centre chief executive Gordon Flake told The Nightly on Thursday that it was the first time the Chinese navy had completed a lap of Australia and ventured so far south.
Experts say the trip was China showing off its ability to traverse the Pacific but it has also prompted Australia to question its capability to defend itself and rely on international allies like the United States.
