<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>339271</docID> <postdate>2025-02-28 13:08:28</postdate> <headline>Chinese envoy unapologetic, plays down navy drill worry</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-339272" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20241126113842200623-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Live-firing drills complied with international law, says Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Dominic Giannini</strong> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>Taiwan's representative urges closer intelligence sharing and co-operation following concerns about China's intention in sending warships near Australia. </strong></p> <p>It had learnt first-hand China's intentions and capabilities from years of provocative incursions and Taipei was willing to collaborate with like-minded countries that wanted to protect the status quo, Douglas Hsu said.</p> <p>Taiwan had a database of Chinese military actions and could share intelligence including the intention of some exercises and the messages they're designed to send out, Mr Hsu said.</p> <p>"They're doing military drills in the region without pre-notice, I think that's not the right way to do that," he told AAP.</p> <p>"My point is we need to learn from those lessons, China always wants to make a new bargaining chip by creating a new normal."</p> <p>The ship was likely gathering intelligence but China also employed grey-zone tactics to push the boundaries and rewrite international rules, he said.</p> <p>He pointed to creeping incursions by Chinese forces during military drills over the "median line" between China and Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait.</p> <p>"The action has repeatedly proven that China is the destabiliser of regional peace and stability," he said.</p> <p>Australia's voice in the international community was "definitely important" when it comes to calling out provocations, the envoy said.</p> <p>Mr Hsu also urges closer ties with Australia, on Friday launching a Taiwan-Australia Relations Forum established by the Taiwanese community in Brisbane.</p> <p>This includes trade as he pushed for Australia to help Taiwan join a trans-Pacific free trade agreement.</p> <p>"Taiwan boasts a comprehensive and reliable technology supply chain, making it one of the most qualified applicants," he said.</p> <p>China believes Taiwan is part of its jurisdiction, and rejects any application from Taipei to enter the trade agreement - which is a pact that China itself wishes to join.</p> <p>Australia's policy includes a one-China principle, meaning it does not recognise Taiwan as a nation, but Australia only notes Beijing's claim over Taiwan and nothing more.</p> <p>Tensions have resurfaced between Canberra and Beijing after a dramatic improvement in the relationship, with the government launching numerous protests against what it calls unsafe military actions that include a Chinese aircraft dropping flares dangerously close to an Australian helicopter.</p> <p>Most recently, Australian officials protested with Beijing over a lack of notice about live-fire drills that interrupted dozens of commercial flights as three warships travelled down the east coast and around Tasmania.</p> <p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged it was within international law but the government has made it clear more notice should have been given.</p> <p>"We believe it was appropriate to have been given more notice and we made that clear last Friday," he told reporters on Friday.</p> <p>The Defence Department says it's "best practice" to give between 12 and 48 hours' notice when opening a live-firing window, depending on the operation, and this includes what's known as an all-airmen broadcast.</p> <p>But China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, rejects the claim that not enough notice was given.</p> <p>A Virgin pilot was the first to report the drill after hearing the emergency broadcast mid-flight some 30 minutes following the live-firing window opening.</p> <p>The warning was relayed to civil aviation authorities who reported it to the defence department.</p> <p>Different countries had different practices depending on the nature of drills, Mr Xiao told ABC News, saying the Chinese alert was appropriate.</p> <p>"I don't see there's any reason why the Chinese side should feel sorry about that or even ... apologise for that," he said.</p> <p>The ambassador also played down concerns about the location of the naval task force, saying as a major power, Chinese vessels were present in the region and training was normal for navies across the world.</p> <p>"There should be no over-reading into this."</p> <p>Australia and allies regularly conduct freedom of navigation exercises in the Taiwan Strait, which Beijing sees as provocative.</p> <p>https://citynews.com.au/2025/albanese-falls-victim-to-a-chinese-burn/</p> </body>