Recent unprecedented live-fire drills by China's navy in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand were "totally in line with international law", a spokesperson for its defence ministry said on Thursday.

Beijing on Sunday said Canberra had “deliberately hyped” recent Chinese naval exercises near the Australian coast and confirmed its forces had used live fire in an incident th

The drills, conducted near a busy air corridor, have prompted both countries to enhance surveillance and collaborate with allies.

New Zealand's foreign minister said he had raised concerns over China's recent live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea during meetings with Chinese leaders on Wednesday.

Australia's defense forces, joined by New Zealand, have been monitoring Chinese navy vessels since they were spotted last week.

New Zealand raised fresh concerns Monday over nearby live-fire drills conducted by Chinese warships armed with “extremely capable” weapons, an unprecedented show of firepower last week that analysts say are part of Beijing’s ongoing plan to build a blue-water navy with global reach.

A lack of a sufficient warning from China about its live-fire naval exercises in the Tasman Sea has been labelled a failure in the New Zealand-China relationship by Foreign Minister Winston Peters. The issue of China’s three navy ships being in the Tasman Sea and conducting live exercises has dominated talks between Peters and his counterpart in Beijing overnight.

New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins said Monday that a Chinese naval group conducting military exercises in the Tasman Sea was armed with "extremely capable."