The Chinese navy has made a bold statement by circumnavigating much of Australia. This unprecedented maneuver serves as a clear indication of the Chinese naval presence and strategic intent.
Dubbed Task Group 107 by the Australians, the operation has been informally named “Operation Tasmanian Dragon.” This nomenclature echoes the U.S.’s own military operation titles such as “Joint Sword,” which simulates a blockade of Taiwan. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) included the formidable Type 55 destroyer CNS Zunyi, the agile Type 54A frigate CNS Hengyang, and the significant replenishment ship CNS Weishanhu.
This three-ship armada is noteworthy for its capabilities. The Zunyi is larger than the renowned American Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The Hengyang’s capabilities are unmatched in the U.S. Navy until the new Constellation-class frigates are fully operational. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy lacks a counterpart for the Weishanhu, as their fleet no longer includes medium-speed, large replenishment ships.
Without prior warning, the Chinese group arrived along Australia’s east coast, conducted a weapons exercise in international waters between Australia and New Zealand, and then proceeded unnoticed along Australia’s southern and western coasts.
Glaring Gaps in Situational Awareness
The arrival of China’s naval task group caught many by surprise. Michael Shoebridge, founder and director of Strategic Analysis Australia, emphasized the impact of this maneuver in an article he shared with The Epoch Times.
“The Chinese military’s no-notice live firing between Australia and New Zealand is bringing deliberate and dangerous behavior into our peaceful neighborhood. Of course, China is telling everyone this is all good because it’s not illegal, but it’s odd to hear our prime minister and defense minister parroting their words,” Shoebridge wrote.
Shoebridge pointed out the disconnect between official statements and reality, noting that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed an “unprecedented job” in monitoring these warships. Yet, the live-fire exercise was reported by a civilian airline pilot, indicating that military intelligence was not the source of this information.
“More disturbingly, hours after the drill, the chief of Australia’s military told us it was not clear if any live firing had actually occurred. What does ‘watching every move’ mean if you don’t know if warships fired their guns or launched missiles?” Shoebridge remarked.
Shoebridge noted that such exercises would be routinely monitored by nations like South Korea or Japan, but Australia’s and New Zealand’s surveillance capabilities appeared deficient, revealing a vulnerability in monitoring maritime activity.
Reminiscent of America’s Great White Fleet Voyage
The Chinese naval expedition mirrors America’s own historic naval demonstration under President Teddy Roosevelt. Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, compared the PLAN’s journey to the U.S. Navy’s “Great White Fleet” from 1907 to 1909, which showcased American naval strength globally.
“The PLAN is flexing its muscles and building its familiarity with distant seas. This begs the realization that the PLAN is a blue-water modern navy—something too many still resist acknowledging to their own risk,” Sadler commented.
Sadler’s insights emphasize that the PLAN now mirrors the capabilities of an ocean-going navy, able to freely navigate the world’s seas.
Australia and New Zealand Lag in Defense Spending
This Chinese naval foray serves as a wake-up call. Grant Newsham, a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel, observed that the Chinese naval presence signals a clear message of “contempt and intimidation” toward Australia and New Zealand.
“There’s more to come and more often. And especially up in the Southwest and South Pacific—on the approaches to Australia and New Zealand,” Newsham asserted.
The unexpected arrival of the Chinese fleet exposes how diminished Australian and New Zealand defense capabilities have become, with defense spending at starkly low levels.
“This PLAN cruise really highlighted, if any more evidence was needed, how diminished Australian and New Zealand defense capabilities have become,” Newsham stated. “In fact, New Zealand is basically defenseless. Australia is a little better, but that’s not saying so much.”
Australia allocates about 2 percent of its GDP to defense, while New Zealand is even lower at 1.2 percent.
“To Australia’s chagrin, they really have no option but to rely on the U.S. for protection,” Newsham noted. “Though I suppose they could surrender to China… I don’t know how much New Zealand even cares.”
This exercise has highlighted a critical strategic vulnerability in the Indo-Pacific region. Whether Australia and New Zealand will heed this warning remains to be seen. All viewpoints are personal and do not reflect the viewpoints of any organization.
