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A Chinese intelligence ship tracked off Australia&#39;s west coast within 50 nautical miles of a sensitive naval base in the country has given rise to serious concern in Canberra.</p>
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Australian authorities kept a close watch on the spy ship over the past week as it sailed past the Harold E Holt naval communications station at Exmouth, in Western Australia, which is used by Australian, U.S. and NATO submarines.&nbsp;</p>
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday the Chinese navy vessel was not in Australian territorial waters but its presence was &quot;concerning,&quot; according to a Reuters report from Sydney.</p>
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China&rsquo;s aggressive posturing in the Indo-Pacific region and whether it poses a national security threat has been figuring as a major issue in Australia&rsquo;s election campaign, voting for which will take place on May 21.</p>
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Relations between Australia and China have also come under strain due to the increasing Chinese influence in the Solomon Islands as the small Pacific island nation has signed a security pact with China.&nbsp;</p>
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Asked on Saturday about whether the vessel&#39;s conduct was a &quot;red line&quot;, Morrison said freedom of navigation was permitted around the world and the ship had not broken maritime laws, the Reuters report stated.</p>
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&quot;International law of the sea has not been breached,&quot; he told reporters on the campaign trail in Melbourne. But he said the issue highlighted challenges Australia faced from China &quot;seeking to impose its will across the region&quot;.</p>
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The opposition Labour Party leader Anthony Albanese said on Saturday that he shared the government&#39;s concerns about the vessel and had sought a briefing.</p>
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Defence Minister Peter Dutton said this week that he considered the vessel&#39;s movement &quot;an act of aggression&quot; for travelling so far south.&nbsp;</p>
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China&#39;s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said he was not aware of specifics but that China always abided by international law and urged Australian politicians to &quot;refrain from alarmism&quot;.</p>
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