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New Zealand Defence Force says live rounds fired

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Chinese navy advised of drill via radio channels

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New Zealand monitoring, shadowing Chinese vessels

(Recasts, adds New Zealand prime minister, defence minister

comments in paragraphs 2-5)

Feb 22 (Reuters) - New Zealand said the Chinese navy

conducted a live-fire exercise in international waters near the

Pacific nation on Saturday, a day after it held a similar drill

between Australia and New Zealand that forced airlines to divert

flights.

"Reporting from the New Zealand Defence Force that the

Chinese naval Task Group has advised of a second window for live

firing activity, on Saturday afternoon," a spokesperson for

Defence Minister Judith Collins said in a statement.

Personnel on New Zealand Navy frigate Te Kaha observed live

rounds fired from a Chinese vessel's main gun, the statement

said, adding that the task group had "advised via radio channels

of its intent to conduct live firing".

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said earlier on Saturday

that it was unclear where the Chinese naval vessels were headed

in international waters and for what purpose.

"What we are doing is monitoring and shadowing and tracking

the fleet," he said in Christchurch, adding that China was

acting in accordance with international law.

Saturday's live-fire drill took place in the Tasman Sea,

broadcaster Radio New Zealand reported.

On Friday, airlines including Qantas, Emirates and Air

New Zealand ( ANZFF ) had to modify flight paths between Australia and New

Zealand after China broadcast a message that its navy would hold

live-fire exercises in international waters off Australia's New

South Wales state coast.

Australia Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday

Beijing had failed to give satisfactory reasons for what he

called inadequate notice of Friday's live-fire drill. The late

notice was "disconcerting" for commercial aviation, he said.

"When we do an activity of this kind, we would typically

give 12 to 24 hours notice," Marles told broadcaster Nine

Entertainment, according to a transcript.

The warning by the Chinese vessels was at "very short

notice", Marles said, without saying how many hours were given.

Australia's defence force said there was no imminent risk of

danger to Australian or New Zealand assets, the government said

on Friday.

"China did comply with international law and that's

important to not suggest that that wasn't the case," Prime

Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday in remarks televised

by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday

the naval exercises "upheld safety standards and professional

operations throughout in accordance with relevant international

laws and international practices".

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong met her Chinese

counterpart Wang Yi on Friday on the sidelines of a Group of 20

meeting in South Africa, saying they would discuss "safe and

professional military conduct".

Friday's exercise took place after a People's Liberation

Army Navy frigate, cruiser and replenishment vessel entered

Australia's maritime approaches last week, and travelled down

Australia's east coast this week, monitored by the navies and

air forces of Australia and New Zealand.

Australia this month complained about "unsafe and

unprofessional" actions by a Chinese fighter jet towards an

Australian maritime patrol in the South China Sea. Beijing

accused the Australian aircraft of "deliberately intruding" into

its airspace.

China rejects a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of

Arbitration in the Hague that its claim to almost all of the

South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by several

Southeast Asia nations, was not supported by international law.