People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) Task Group 107, comprised of the Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai-class Cruiser Zunyi, and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu, is operating approximately 160 nautical miles (296 kilometres) east of Hobart, inside of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone.
Task Group 107 re-entered Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone in the early hours of this morning.
Defence continues to monitor the Task Group while it remains in the vicinity of Australia's maritime approaches, and is coordinating closely with the New Zealand Defence Force.
Australia expects all militaries operating in the region to engage transparently, maintain the highest standards of safety and professionalism, and we encourage all states to maintain open communication to ensure their actions support regional security and stability.
We respect the right of all states under international law to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace, just as we expect others to respect our right to do the same.
