No reason for China to apologise to Australia for live-fire drills, ambassador says

<p>Xiao Qian says exercises in Tasman Sea posed ‘no threat’ to Australia as previously unreported communications between pilots and air traffic controllers show confusion over drills</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/feb/28/australia-news-live-creative-australia-adrian-collette-greens-election-cost-of-living-anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></li><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p>China doesn’t even need to “think” about apologising over the way it notified Australia about live-fire naval drills off the Australian coast, the country’s ambassador says.<br /><br />
Xiao Qian told the ABC the drills last Friday and Saturday posed “no threat” to Australia and were “a normal kind of practice for many navies in the world”.</p><p>He said the notification of the drills had followed normal international practice, despite Australian authorities first becoming aware of them after they began, from a passing Virgin pilot.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/28/no-reason-for-china-to-apologise-to-australia-for-live-fire-drills-ambassador-says">Continue reading...</a>