Chinese Navy Drill Forces 49 Australian Flights to Divert

Forty-nine commercial flights were diverted when China unexpectedly began a live-fire naval drill off the eastern coast of Australia on Friday.

Three Chinese warships conducted training drills from Friday to Saturday under a flight path connecting Australia and New Zealand in the Tasman Sea. The exercises took place about 300 nautical miles off Australia’s East Coast.

Australia’s air safety agency said it first learned of the drills after a Virgin commercial pilot picked up a broadcast from the Chinese warships about 30 minutes after the drills had started.

China says: China claimed it “repeatedly issu[ed] prior safety notices” and that the naval drills were conducted in international waters so they were in accordance with international law.

However, Airservices Australia deputy chief executive Peter Curran said China did not notify authorities. The warships’ broadcast came over an emergency radio channel monitored by pilots, not air traffic control.

Pushing boundaries: The Chinese Navy regularly conducts exercises to exert its dominance in the South China Sea and surrounding waters. It is continuing to push international boundaries by conducting these exercises so close to Australia and New Zealand.

The Bible prophesies China will soon gain control over vital trading waters and sea gates to become a dominate superpower. This will have devastating consequences for the world.

Learn more: Read “China Is Steering the World Toward War.”