The Australian navy is shadowing Chinese warships 150 nautical miles east of Sydney, the furthest China’s navy has sailed down the eastern Australian coast. Two Australian ships are following a Chinese naval task group — comprising two warships and a supply vessel — that appeared off the north-eastern coast of Australia a week ago,

The appearance of a flotilla of Chinese warships in Australian waters just days after a deadly clash involving a surveillance plane has heightened fears over Beijing’s expansionist ambitions.