MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia has issued a caution to international airlines operating flights between its airports and New Zealand, alerting them to the presence of Chinese warships engaged in live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea, as stated by Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Friday.

Wong confirmed reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation indicating that Airservices Australia, the nation’s aviation regulator, has notified commercial pilots about potential safety risks within the airspace shared by Australia and New Zealand. This warning coincides with three Chinese warships conducting military exercises off the eastern coast of Australia.

According to ABC, several international flights have chosen to alter their routes in response to the warning.

“It is common protocol for a naval task group involved in training exercises to disseminate notifications to vessels and aircraft operating nearby, and Airservices Australia is fulfilling its responsibility in this regard,” Wong mentioned in an interview with ABC.

Furthermore, Wong highlighted that Australia is in conversations with China to improve communication and transparency concerning naval activities, especially those involving live-fire drills. She noted that Australian military vessels and aircraft have been actively tracking the movements of the Chinese warships for several days while they navigate through international waters adjacent to Australia’s east coast.