Australia says China's 'alarming' actions at odds with peaceful rhetoric

China's "alarming" actions do not match its rhetoric about promoting peace and prosperity in the region, Australia's defence minister said on Friday after a Chinese navy ship was tracked sailing through the country's exclusive economic zone.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton listed China's militarisation of the South China Sea, recent aggression towards Taiwan and the introduction of a national security law in Hong Kong as examples of China's actions being at odds with its rhetoric.

"We're all familiar with the frequent claims of the Chinese government that it is committed to peace,...