Ying Yu Lin & Thomas He
On February 21–22, 2025, a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) task force conducted a live-fire drill in the Tasman Sea, South Pacific Ocean, catching both Australia and New Zealand off guard (The Sydney Morning Herald, February 21). The drills complied with international law, but they further strained relations with Australia and New Zealand, both of whom are cooperating closely with the United States in the Pacific. They also fueled anxieties over the intentions of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), indcating the need for a careful assessment of Beijing’s intentions to avoid miscalculations in regional security policy.
PLAN Declines Customary Notification for Drills
Australia’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) first confirmed the presence of a PLAN task group in the South Pacific on February 13, consisting of the Hengyang frigate (衡阳号导弹护卫舰), Zunyi destroyer (遵义号驱逐舰), and Weishanhu replenishment vessel (微山湖号综合补给舰), which had entered the region from Southeast Asian waters (MOD, February 13). Six days later, the task group was operating 150 nautical miles east of Sydney (Financial Times, February 19). On February 21, the situation escalated when the PLAN conducted a live-fire exercise in the Tasman Sea without providing the customary 12–24-hour advance notice to regional governments. Instead, civilian aircraft overflying the area were instructed to vacate the airspace (ABC News, February 21; The Guardian, February 26). Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she would raise concerns at the G20 meeting, though PRC Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) merely urged Australia to “manage differences properly” (妥善处理差异分歧) (MFA, February 22).