Beijing sending a message to Canberra that they
"have so much investment in Australia so therefore we can come and go as we please"?
ABCQuote:
Chinese vessel believed to be spy ship docks next to HMAS Adelaide in Fiji
Exclusive by defence reporter Andrew Greene
Updated Sat at 6:44am
It may not have looked like much of a match — or a showdown for that matter — but when Australia's largest warship HMAS Adelaide arrived at the Fijian port of Suva on Saturday, it had an interesting neighbour.
Key points:
Chinese fishing boat believed to be carrying wide range of surveillance equipment
Fiji tipped off Australian Navy about Chinese spy ship expected to dock next to HMAS Adelaide
China has a strong commercial and military presence in the South Pacific
A Chinese ship fitted with communications equipment docked alongside the new Canberra-class landing helicopter dock.
The Royal Australian Navy suspects the Chinese vessel is a spy ship, which deliberately arrived at the same time to carry out surveillance on the Australians.
HMAS Adelaide and other Australian warships visiting Fiji will "take the appropriate security precautions", but the surveillance craft is "just another ship", Captain Jim Hutton, Commander of the Navy's Joint Task Group 661, said.
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