China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, has firmly stated that there is no reason for his country to apologise for recent military drills conducted between Australia and New Zealand, speaking in an interview with national broadcaster ABC News (via Reuters).
The live-fire exercises, which took place in international waters, prompted at least 49 flight diversions, raising concerns from both countries over the lack of prior notice. However, Xiao defended the drills, arguing that they followed international law and standard procedures.
While Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese downplayed the incident, emphasising that the drills occurred in international waters, the opposition criticised the late awareness of the event by the Australian Defence Force, with a commercial pilot being the first to notify authorities. For now, it remains to be seen how this diplomatic tension will evolve.