Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with his Australian counterpart on the prevention of Chinese naval (a) incursions and (b) shelling off the coast of Australia.

The Secretary of State speaks regularly with his Australian counterpart and last spoke on 11 February. These discussions typically cover a range of issues of mutual interest, including the importance of upholding security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

We remain committed to international law, the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to freedom of navigation and overflight and to a free and open Indo-Pacific.