The commanding officer of a U.S. Coast Guard ship crossing the Tasman Sea in support of maritime security with Australia and New Zealand said that the cutter was aware Chinese naval vessels were in the region but did not interact with them.

China's navy conducted live-fire drills in international waters between Australia & New Zealand on Friday and Sunday, which Australian officials described as unprecedented. For safety reasons, 49 commercial flights had to be diverted due to the drills.

Defence forces in Australia and New Zealand are monitoring the movements of the People's Liberation Army Navy's frigate, cruiser, and refuelling vessel.

Midgett, a national security cutter of the U.S. Coast Guard, arrived at Sydney port on Saturday after arriving from New Zealand.

Captain Matthew Rooney of the Midgett told reporters on Tuesday in Sydney that he was aware of the Chinese vessels' presence.

It did not impact our operations. "We follow international norms and regulations to prevent collisions at sea. We had no encounters. And we expect the Chinese Navy to do the exact same thing," he said.

Euan Graham said that it was the farthest south in which the Chinese navy has held exercises. It also showed China didn't need a base in the South Pacific for power projection.

He said that China was testing Australia, New Zealand, and Australia's closest security ally, the United States.

He said: "This is a signal that China does not feel discouraged from operating near (the U.S.'s) closest Pacific ally."

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the People's Liberation Army Navy conducted exercises and training on distant waters, and adhered to international safety standards.

Since 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard increased its operations in the South Pacific, including patrolling for illegal fisheries by distant fleets, such as those from China. This was done at the invitation Pacific Island countries.

China registered for the first ever time in 2025 dozens of coastguard vessels to patrol fisheries in the Pacific Islands, but none has yet been deployed.

China's coast guard enforces its maritime claims in the South China Sea by using its coastguard.

Rooney stated that the U.S. Coast Guard is in the Pacific "to assist nations in maintaining national sovereignty through bilateral agreements - bilateral maritime agreement to support operations in their exclusive economic zones to prevent malign behavior, as well as to prevent poaching marine resources".

Captain Rebecca Levitt, the commanding officer of the HMAS Kuttabul base in Sydney said that Australia had "a large patch of the ocean we need to protect, and provide stability within the area, and we can't achieve that without the United States".

Next, the Midgett will travel to Papua New Guinea for an illegal fishing patrol. (Reporting and editing by Jamie Freed; Kirstyn Needham)

(source: Reuters)