23 hours Ago By Lisa Visentin
Beijing has rebuffed suggestions that it is seeking to influence the federal election after one of its research vessels passed through international waters off Australia’s southern coast, sparking days of fiery political exchanges on the campaign trail about which party is better at handling China’s strategic ambitions. The Chinese embassy in Canberra issued a statement insisting that its ship, the Tan Suo Yi Hao, was engaged in “routine scientific research”, had performed no operations in Australia’s exclusive economic zone and was in compliance with international law. It denounced as “smearing” claims that the vessel was a spy ship.
The presence of Chinese research vessel, Tan Suo Yi Hao, tracking a route far off the south coast of Australia has generated days of political debate and prompted Beijing to deny that it is seeking to influence the federal election. “These activities are not directed at any third party and have nothing to do with China-Australia relations, let alone the Australian federal election. The Australian federal election is Australia’s internal affairs,” the embassy’s statement said.
“The route of the Chinese vessel was set in accordance with the international waterway and taken into consideration of the coastal weather forecast.” In recent days, the Tan Suo Yi Hao has passed through the Bass Strait, tracking briefly into Australia’s EEZ, after completing joint research surveys with New Zealand. It has then tracked a path off Australia’s southern coast through international waters and into the high seas off the southern tip of Western Australia.
The vessel’s presence has hung over the opening days of the federal election campaign, reviving a furious debate between Labor and the Liberal Party over how best to manage the China relationship. It comes weeks after Chinese warships circled Australia and conducted live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea. The debate is playing out against the backdrop of a close fight between the two major parties for support from Chinese voters, especially in marginal seats such as Bennelong in NSW and Chisholm in Victoria, both held by Labor.
Loading In a bid to win back Chinese voters who abandoned the Liberal Party in 2022, Dutton has moderated his historically hawkish posture toward Beijing and last year even described himself as “pro-China” during a visit to Australia by Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Responding to questions on the hustings earlier this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would “prefer” the vessel wasn’t off Australia’s coast but indicated it was not breaching international laws and compared its passage to Australian vessels moving through the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. Dutton and senior Liberal frontbenchers have slammed the prime minister’s response as “weak” and accused him of drawing a “false equivalence” between Australia’s maritime exercises and China’s activities near Australian waters.
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