[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] … while Beijing navy chopper buzzes within TEN FEET of Philippines coastguard plane.
China has flexed its military muscles after a fleet of warships were spotted close to Australia and a Beijing navy helicopter was seen flying within 10ft of a Philippines coastguard plane.
Chinese warships were discovered just 150 nautical miles east of Sydney, marking the furthest south Beijing's navy has ever ventured along Australia's eastern coastline.
The Australian Navy has since deployed two vessels to shadow the Chinese naval task group, which consists of a frigate, a cruiser, and a supply ship.
The fleet was first detected off Australia's north-east coast a week ago, raising concerns over China's expanding military presence in the Pacific.
A defence expert described the situation as 'unprecedented,' warning that Beijing is increasingly normalising its military reach beyond the first and second Pacific island chains, which stretch from Japan through Indonesia, Guam, and Micronesia.
It comes after China was slammed for its 'dangerous, unprofessional, and reckless' actions after a Chinese navy helicopter flew just 10ft from a Philippine coastguard plane on Tuesday.
'As the Chinese test their ability to project power further south, in addition to east and west, the question becomes how much they can hold at risk - how much they can signal to the Australians that they can threaten them,' Charles Edel, a specialist in Australian security at Washington-based think-tank CSIS, told the FT.
The Australian Defence Ministry confirmed the Chinese ships were operating in international waters, but their presence has been met with suspicion.
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