The appearance of a flotilla of Chinese warships in Australian waters just days after a deadly clash involving a surveillance plane has heightened fears over Beijing’s expansionist ambitions.

Australia spotted three Chinese warships sailing near its coast as Beijing accused Canberra of sending a spy plane into its "territorial airspace" over the contested South China Sea. Newsweek has contacted the Australian and Chinese militaries for comment by email.

China accused Australia of deliberately "provoking" China in the South China Sea this week, and of "invading" and "breaking into" the homes of others, its defence ministry said on Friday.