China’s Defence Ministry has rejected Australia’s concerns over recent live-fire naval exercises conducted in international waters between Australia and New Zealand, calling them exaggerated and misleading.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles criticized China on Saturday for providing insufficient notice before the drills, which, he claimed, forced airlines to reroute flights. Marles also stated that Beijing had not given a satisfactory explanation for the short notice.

In response, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian defended the exercises, insisting that China had issued multiple safety warnings in advance. He emphasized that the drills were conducted in full compliance with international law and did not pose any risk to aviation safety.

“Australia is fully aware of this yet continues to make unfounded accusations and exaggerate the situation,” Wu said in an official statement. “We strongly oppose these baseless claims.”

Meanwhile, New Zealand confirmed on Saturday that it had observed Chinese naval forces conducting a second day of live-fire drills and stated that officials were closely monitoring the situation.

The dispute adds to ongoing tensions between China and Australia over regional security and military activities. While China maintains that its operations were lawful and transparent, Australia continues to raise concerns about Beijing’s communication and the potential risks posed by its military exercises.