A Chinese naval fleet, led by the Type 055 destroyer Zunyi, is nearing the end of its first-ever circumnavigation of Australia.
According to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) which has been monitoring the fleet, as of Monday, the vessels were last seen 630 nautical miles (1,166 km) northwest of Perth. The vessels were reportedly moving toward the Sunda Strait, the likely route back to the South China Sea.
The latest location puts the Chinese ships within Australia’s 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the country’s southwest coast.
Australia has been monitoring the three-ship task force, which also includes the frigate Hengyang and the supply vessel Weishanhu, since February.
On February 21, the country reported that the task force conducted live fire drills off Australia’s eastern coast, without prior warning. The exercise reportedly caused flight diversions.
The timing of China’s mission comes as the U.S. Navy submarine USS Minnesota, a nuclear-powered attack submarine, remains docked at HMAS Stirling naval base in Western Australia for joint training under the AUKUS security pact.
Ahoy there! 👋 U.S. Virginia-class submarine, USS Minnesota, arrives at HMAS Stirling in WA for a routine visit—the first of several planned submarine visits in 2025. 🇦🇺 🇺🇸 #YourADF pic.twitter.com/Iv0FsHgwZo
— Defence Australia (@DefenceAust) March 3, 2025
The AUKUS alliance, formed in 2021 between Australia, the U.S., and the UK, is aimed at strengthening security in the Indo-Pacific and will provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines in the coming years.
