By Chelsea Robin | 2026-03-20

China has responded with vehement rhetoric after a conference of defense and foreign ministers from Australia and New Zealand in Canberra earlier this week.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong hosted New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters for the third Australia-New Zealand Foreign and Defense Ministerial Consultations March 17. The talks are known as ANZMIN 2+2.

In a joint statement, the ministers condemned Iran's "reckless and indiscriminate attacks" on its neighbors and Beijing's "destabilizing activities" in the disputed South China Sea and East China Sea. They singled out China's "unsafe and unprofessional conduct in the sea and air."

All countries must adhere to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, the ministers said.

The ministers expressed "grave concerns about human rights violations" in Xinjiang and Tibet, and "deep concern" over eroding freedoms in Hong Kong.

They also affirmed their countries' support for Taiwan and opposition to any attempts to change its status quo. Beijing considers Taiwan its territory and has repeatedly threatened to seize it by force.

The New Zealand and Australian ministers urged China to use its influence to stop Russia's "illegal and unprovoked" war in Ukraine.

'Double standards'

Chinese officials responded to the joint statement with tit-for-tat accusations.

A spokesperson for Beijing's embassy in New Zealand accused Canberra and Wellington of "double standards."

The South Pacific countries' officials resorted to "bias, misinformation and inexplicable colonial-style arrogance," the spokesperson said.

Regarding Iran, the spokesperson accused the two countries of overlooking "the root cause" of the conflict.

The embassy similarly rejected Canberra and Wellington's concerns over Chinese human rights violations, the status of Taiwan, and China's many maritime territorial disputes with its neighbors.

Unsafe maneuvers

The war of words comes after a string of Chinese confrontations with Australian and New Zealand forces at sea.

Earlier this month, Australia raised concerns with China following what it called an "unsafe and unprofessional" encounter between two military helicopters.

An Australian military helicopter was undertaking a routine patrol over international waters in the Yellow Sea when a Chinese helicopter intercepted it March 4, Australia's Defense Department said in a statement March 6.

The Chinese naval helicopter matched the Australian aircraft's altitude before "closing in to an unsafe distance," increasing speed and then rolling towards it, requiring the Australian crew to take "evasive action," the statement said.

China's Defense Ministry called the Australian statement "distortions of facts," Reuters reported March 7.

Australia issued a similar complaint last October about a Chinese fighter jet that dropped flares near one of its maritime patrol planes.

The New Zealand Defense Force denounced Beijing in late February after three Chinese naval vessels entered the Tasman Sea without prior notice.

China had "not deigned to advise us what they're doing in the middle of the Tasman Sea," Collins said at the time, adding that it was "quite a significant event."

"We do not live in a benign strategic environment," the defense minister said, RNZ reported February 20.

The frigate Hengyang, cruiser Zunyi and replenishment vessel Weishanhu continued sailing down the coast of Australia after observers spotted them northeast of the country, according to the Australian Defense Department.

The Chinese task group deployment came as US Indo-Pacific Command commander Adm. Samuel Paparo was in Canberra for talks on security with Australia's chief of Joint Operations.