China’s military presence is increasingly felt beyond its traditional waters, as Chinese warships have been spotted circumnavigating Australia’s coastline for over three weeks. The ships, including the People’s Liberation Army-Navy’s Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu, passed within 200 miles of Sydney, and conducted live-fire drills with New Zealand forces, raising alarms in both countries.
This shift in Chinese military activity—previously confined to the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait—has now brought the reality of China’s expanding naval power much closer to US allies in the Pacific. Both Australia and New Zealand were taken aback by the lack of formal notice of the exercises, signaling a new phase in China’s assertive military stance.
Chinese officials have shrugged off concerns, maintaining that their naval actions comply with international law and suggesting that the West should simply get used to Chinese warships operating in nearby waters.
Simultaneously, China has extended its naval activities to other areas, including Vietnam and Taiwan, signaling a broader display of power in the Pacific, which has left US allies uneasy. The situation has become more complex after the recent breakdown in US-Ukraine relations, when Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to halt military aid to Ukraine raised questions about the US’s reliability as a security partner. Trump’s embrace of Russia and disregard for European allies has stoked fears in the Indo-Pacific region, especially as many countries in the area have historically relied on US power to counter China’s ambitions.
The shift in US foreign policy has forced nations like Australia and New Zealand to reassess their security strategies and military budgets. Experts suggest that these countries, along with other US allies, may need to strengthen their regional alliances and reconsider their defense commitments in light of an increasingly unpredictable US approach to international security.
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