Australia Tracks Chinese Navy Flotilla in Philippine Sea
Defense Minister Richard Marles told reporters Canberra will maintain continuous observation of the flotilla until authorities can verify it isn't advancing toward Australia, per the agency coverage.
"We monitor it closely and do it through all of the geographic areas of interest and that includes as far away as north-east Asia, which is one of the stated areas of national interest," he said.
The defense chief confirmed the Australian Defense Force maintains operational presence in waters north of the continent, deploying strategic assets and military capabilities "in our areas of key interest." Marles refused to reveal the "direct source" of the surveillance operations.
"Be assured that we have maritime domain awareness across the areas and we know what is happening and we continue that," he said.
In response to Marles' statements, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Chinese naval fleets "consistently respect and adhere" to international laws and conduct maritime activities in accordance with international legal norms, state-run media reported.
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