Vessel off Australia's south coast conducting 'normal maritime activities', China says

Record ID: 1987233

  • Title: Vessel off Australia's south coast conducting 'normal maritime activities', China says
  • Date: 31st March 2025
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (MARCH 31, 2025) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, GUO JIAKUN, WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, GUO JIAKUN, SAYING: (WHEN ASKED BY AN AUSTRALIAN MEDIA OUTLET ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE SHIP'S ACTIVITIES, AND CHINA'S RESPONSE TO AUSTRALIA'S CONCERNS) “Regarding the specif
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Australia Beijing China Chinese vessel PM Anthony Albanese dual use foreign ministry monitoring researc vessel south coast
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • City: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001293931032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Australia should not be “suspicious nor make any unfounded assumptions”, China said on Monday (March 31), after its Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it is monitoring a Chinese research ship in the country’s south coast region.
    “As a matter of principle, I would like to stress that China has always followed international law,” ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular news conference, before adding it engages in “conducting normal maritime activities”.
    Guo was speaking in response to a question from an Australian media outlet that the Chinese ship might have dual use and Albanese saying he preferred if it was not there.
    Albanese is currently on the campaign trail after calling a general election for May 3 and has said it’s his and the Labour Party’s responsibility to represent Australia’s national interests when questioned by media.
    (Production: Wang Shubing, Josh D. Arslan)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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