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• Crew members on  reported behaviour consistent with live-fire activity by Chinese ships.
• New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins has criticised China for not informing New Zealand about the military drills.
• Air New Zealand modified flight paths to avoid the area, with no impact on operations.

Crew members on board a New Zealand navy frigate shadowing Chinese military ships have reportedly seen behaviour “consistent with a live-fire activity”.

It comes as airlines – including Air New Zealand – have been forced to modify their flight paths after warnings by the Chinese military to avoid airspace between Australia and New Zealand before live-fire military drills in the Tasman Sea.

On Friday, New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins vented frustration at the  for not informing New Zealand that it would be sending a  down the east coast of Australia.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported crew members on board Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha had allegedly observed behaviour “consistent with a live-fire activity” while shadowing the operation.

There was no sign of any surface-to-air firing, and the New Zealand crew did not report seeing any fires on a floating target.

A spokesperson from Air New Zealand said they had “modified their flight paths were necessary to avoid the area”.

The Chinese Navy military warships are reportedly conducting live-fire drills. Photo / Australian Department of Defence

They said there had been “no impact” on their operations.

Yesterday, a flight from Sydney to Christchurch was diverted after warnings from the Chinese military about live-fire drills.

ABC reported the Chinese vessels were believed to be conducting live-fire military drills in international waters about 340 nautical miles southeast of Sydney, without notice.

Collins said the Chinese Government and Chinese Embassy had given New Zealand no notice it would be sending the strike force into the region.

“They have not deigned to advise us on what they are doing in the middle of the Tasman Sea,” Collins said.

Defence Minister Judith Collins has criticised the Chinese military over the unannounced Navy activity. Photo / Mark Mitchell

She added that China had only given New Zealand 24 hours' warning it would fire an  into the Pacific Ocean last year.

Collins added that she did not want this lack of communication to become the “new normal”.

“It is always important that we keep dialogue going and it is certainly not something we would expect from China previously, but ever since the ICBM was launched, I’m sorry to say things are more tense,” Collins said.

The Australian Defence Force said in a statement on Wednesday night it was monitoring three ships, ”the People’s Liberation Army-Navy Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai-class cruiser named Zunyi and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu”.

Collins confirmed NZ Defence Force (NZDF) assets were working with Australian counterparts to monitor the ships.

“They’ll be doing surveillance,” Collins said.

The NZDF told the Herald these assets included using the Anzac-class frigate HMNZS Te Kaha and P-8 Poseidon planes.

Last September, New Zealand exercised its rights under the Law of the Sea to sail a military ship through the Taiwan Strait, an act China could deem provocative.

At the time, Collins said the through the strait with an Australian vessel HMAS Sydney was a “routine activity, consistent with international law, including the right of freedom of navigation as guaranteed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea”.

The ship was shadowed by a Chinese vessel for part of that mission.

Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022.