China conducted naval drills that disrupted NZ-Australia air traffic without warning

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — A fleet of ships sail out at sea as China and Russia's naval joint drill concludes in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, China, September 19, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer

SYDNEY (Reuters) -     China's ambassador to Australia said on Friday his country had no reason to apologise for the military drills it conducted in international waters between Australia and New Zealand that forced at least 49 flights to change path.

Both Australia and New Zealand have raised concerns with Beijing on the rare live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea last week, saying they did not receive adequate notice from China's navy.

Ambassador Xiao Qian said China's navy conducted drills that complied with international law and gave advance notice following international practices.

"I don't see there is any reason why the Chinese side should feel sorry about that, or even to think about to apologise for that," Xiao told national broadcaster ABC News in an interview.

"Different countries have different practice and based on the nature of the drill, size of the drill, and the scope of the drill, my view is that the Chinese naval certification advice was appropriate."

Xiao said the drills did not pose any threat to Australia, one of its largest trading partners, and suggested Canberra should expect more Chinese ships sailing in the region in the future.

"As a major power in this region, as a country that has so many things to look after, it is normal for China to send their vessels to different parts of the region to conduct various kinds of activities," Xiao told ABC News.   

A frigate, cruiser and replenishment vessel that formed the Chinese navy task group has continued west on Friday, across the Great Australian Bight, the New Zealand Defence Force said.

Australian air traffic control agency officials this week told a parliamentary committee that a Virgin Australia pilot alerted them first about the live-fire drill after a message from the Chinese task group was broadcast on an emergency radio channel monitored mostly by pilots.

David Johnston, Australia's defence chief, told the committee on Thursday it was likely the Defence Department came to know about the drill more than 30 minutes after it started.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, trailing in polls ahead of a national election due by May, has downplayed the incident, saying the drills occurred in international waters and that China did not break any maritime laws.

But the opposition Liberal-National coalition said it would be a major incident if the Australian Defence force became aware of the drills late and had to be alerted by a commercial pilot.

 (Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)