New Zealand’s largest naval ship, HMNZS Aotearoa, carried out a rare transit through the Taiwan Strait earlier this month, a route known for high geopolitical tensions, Defence Minister Judith Collins confirmed.

The ship sailed through the strait on 5 November, travelling from the South China Sea towards the North Asian region. The passage followed international law and freedom-of-navigation rights.

A source familiar with the mission said Chinese ships and aircraft closely monitored Aotearoa during the transit, and Chinese fighter jets conducted simulated attack manoeuvres near the vessel.

Collins did not comment on the reported Chinese activity but stated in an email that the transit was conducted in full accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Taiwan’s defence ministry stated that its armed forces maintain full awareness of military movements in the region and respond appropriately to protect national security, without giving additional details.

The transit coincided with Taiwan’s report that China had conducted another “joint combat readiness patrol” around the island on 6 November, involving J-16 fighter jets and focusing activity in the strait and to Taiwan’s southwest.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and says it holds sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait. In contrast, the United States and Taiwan consider the strait to be an international waterway used by global commercial and naval traffic. Roughly half of the world’s container ships pass through this important maritime corridor.

New Zealand last publicly acknowledged a Taiwan Strait passage in September 2023, when one of its naval vessels transited the area alongside an Australian warship. Before that, its previous known transit had taken place in 2017.

HMNZS Aotearoa, built in South Korea, is designed as a replenishment ship and is not equipped with heavy weapons, though it can operate a helicopter. Its role includes refuelling and supplying other vessels at sea.

The New Zealand Defence Force announced last month that the ship was preparing to participate in United Nations sanctions-enforcement missions concerning North Korea in waters near Japan.

New Zealand, like most countries, does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, though both sides operate de facto embassies and regard each other as like-minded democratic partners.

New Zealand is also one of only two major countries, alongside Singapore, to hold a free trade agreement with Taiwan.

The United States conducts Taiwan Strait transits every few months, and allies such as Canada and Britain also make occasional passages.

Over the past five years, China has increased military activity around Taiwan, including large-scale exercises. Taiwan’s democratically elected government firmly rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

Reference: Reuters