Australia warned airlines flying between Australian airports and New Zealand to beware of Chinese warships potentially conducting a live-fire exercise in the Tasman Sea

By Kirsty Needham, Lucy Craymer and Lisa Barrington SYDNEY/WELLINGTON (Reuters) -Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong raised concerns with her Chinese counterpart on Friday over inadequate notice given by the Chinese navy of a rare live-fire exercise in international waters between Australia and New Zealand that forced airlines to divert flights.

The Chinese naval exercises, in international waters off Australia’s eastern coast, while legal, have nonetheless sparked alarm in Australia and New Zealand.

Airlines have been contacted by Australia’s air traffic control agency warning them of reports of live fire off the country’s east coast where a Chinese navy task group has been operating, the agency and Australian officials said.

Australia's defense forces, joined by New Zealand, have been monitoring Chinese navy vessels since they were spotted last week.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia warned international airlines flying between Australian airports and New Zealand to beware of Chinese warships conducting a live-fire exercise in the Tasman Sea, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Friday.

Qantas and Jetstar have temporarily adjusted some flights between Australia and New Zealand due to the military activity.

Military exercises by the Chinese navy in international waters southeast of Australia on Friday forced commercial flights transiting the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand to divert.

Airliners were over the Tasman Sea crossing between Australia and New Zealand when the Chinese navy warned they were flying over a secret live-fire exercise, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Friday.