New Zealand naval ships transit contested Taiwan Strait

Two New Zealand naval ships transited the ​Taiwan Strait late last week, New ‌Zealand's Defence Force ​said on Monday, amid tension over the waterway claimed by China and regarded by Taiwan and the US as international waters. Like most countries, New Zealand has ‌no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but Taipei sees it as an important like-minded democratic partner and both maintain de facto embassies in each other's capitals.

The September 18 transits, by naval frigate Te Mana and oiler Aotearoa, were part of a ‌three-month deployment in the Indo-Pacific, a Defence Force spokesperson said. "New Zealand Defence Force deployments to the region demonstrate our ‌continued interest and commitment to the region," the spokesperson added in a statement.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called it "a routine activity" and said he was not expecting any backlash from China, the country's top trading partner. "It's conducted in a safe and professional way. It's conducted under international law, ⁠it's ​in international waters," Luxon told reporters ⁠in Wellington.

China's Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, says ⁠it alone exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction over the strait, though Taipei rejects Beijing's claims.

Both the US and Taiwan say the strait, a ​major trade route for about half of global container ships, is an international waterway. New Zealand is one ⁠of just two major countries, along with Singapore, to have a free trade pact with Taiwan. Aotearoa was tracked and followed by Chinese forces ⁠when it ​last transited the Strait in November 2025, one source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters.

During that sailing, Chinese ships and aircraft monitored the Aotearoa, with Chinese jets carrying out simulated attacks, the source added. US warships sail ⁠through the strait every few months, provoking criticism from Beijing, and some US allies, such as Canada and Britain make ⁠occasional transits.

China, which has ⁠never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, has stepped up military activities around the island over the past five years, including staging war games.