While Australian warships and surveillance aircraft transit the South China Sea in international waters and airspace and are challenged over their presence, they have steadfastly avoided passing within 12 nautical miles of a disputed territory.
In comments to News Corporation, Ms Bishop rebuffed calls by a senior US congressman for Australia to do its own exercises contesting China's land grab that would probably further strain an
already-tense relationship between Beijing and Canberra.
Ms Bishop reportedly said it would be an "extraordinary step" for Australia to conduct a unilateral freedom of navigation patrol in the South China Sea because it has never conducted one before anywhere else. She said unlike Australia, the US conducted freedom of navigation operations, or FONOPs, 24/7 throughout the world.
Opposition defence spokesman Richard Marles said Labor supported the rights of all nations to exercise freedom of navigation in accordance with international law, and would consider co-operating with other countries.
"We want to see a stable, peaceful, rules-based order in our region supported by a constructive relationship between the US and China," he told
The Australian Financial Review.
"We have an interest in continued constructive US engagement in the region. Labor would consider opportunities for further co-operation with partners in the region."