‘Disconcerting’ warning to planes over Chinese live-fire exercises

Chinese navy frigate Hengyang was one of the vessels involved (Alamy/PA)

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

The regulator Airservices Australia warned commercial pilots of a potential hazard in airspace between the countries as three Chinese warships conducted exercises off the Australian east coast.