Three Australian warships pass through the East Sea. (Photo: AFR)

The destroyers Anzac, Ballarat, and Parramatta, and replenishment vessel HMAS sailed through the southern reaches of the South China Sea.

Anzac and Sirius vessels transited the waters in mid-March, and Anzac participated in “tactical training” with Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force vessel JS Akebono in late March.

The Ministry said in a statement that “the ships are currently conducting two separate regional presence deployments aimed at strengthening practical co-operation with regional partners and enhancing interoperability.”

The statement said these deployments demonstrate Australia’s resolve for an open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific, and were conducted in international waters and in accordance with international law governing freedom of navigation and overflight, in particular the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Last year, six Australian war ships transited the South China Sea.