The flotilla of Chinese warships has sailed beyond Perth and is off the north-west coast of Western Australia.

It passed the navy base HMAS Stirling on Garden Island, near Rockingham, yesterday.

The vessels are continuing their circumnavigation of Australia, which triggered a row with China and intense domestic political debate when they staged a live fire drill off NSW.

Australian authorities are monitoring the warships as they travel through international waters.

The Department of Defence said today the People’s Liberation Army-Navy Task Group 107 – comprised of a frigate, a cruiser and a replenishment vessel – is operating 300 nautical miles (556km) north-west of Perth. 

“Defence continues to monitor the task group while it remains in the vicinity of Australia’s maritime approaches,” it said in a statement.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles told Today this morning the ADF, working with the New Zealand military, had done a “really fantastic job” in tracking the ships.

The Royal Australian Navy ships – HMAS Warramunga, HMAS Stuart and HMAS Toowoomba – are shadowing the task group.

“And we’ll continue to keep a very close eye on that task group as we have from the very moment that this task group entered the vicinity of Australia,” said Marles.