China denies that there was no timely warning about live fires before Australia

Beijing – China's Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that Australia had raised “inappropriate allegations” and deliberately acted the situation after three aircraft to New Zealand had changed the course in the middle flight due to the Chinese Navy for Live Fire Drills.

Wu Qian, the best spokesman for the ministry, said China had published safety known in advance and the activity corresponded to international law and had no influence on the safety of aviation.

“The relevant comments from the Australian side are completely incompatible with the facts,” he said in an answer to the Defense Ministry.

Three passenger flights from Sydney to Christchurch and Queenstown were in the air on Friday when they were warned for the first time by a Chinese warship of a live fire exercise, Australian media reported.

The flights were redirected and nobody was put in danger, the Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Radio. But he also said that the Australian Navy would usually provide 12 to 24 hours about a live fire exercise to give the airlines time to plan them.

The Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that she was looking for an explanation of her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi when the two met on Saturday after an assembly of external ministers from the 20 nations in Johannesburg.

“I have the expectations of Australia in terms of prerequisite.”

The presence of the three Chinese warships in the region – a frigate, a cruiser and a replenishment ship – had attracted the attention of the Australian and New Zealand military at the beginning of the last week. Marles described the activity as unusual, if not unprecedented.