New Zealand naval ships pass through contested Taiwan Strait

WELLINGTON - 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 for Taipei, it is an important, like-minded democratic partner. 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 biggest 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 respond to a request for comment.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the government's position on such foreign navy transits was consistent. He did not elaborate.

CHINA CLAIMS STRAIT AS ITS WATERS

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, says it alone exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction over the strait. Taipei rejects Beijing's claims.

Both the US and Taiwan say the strait, a 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.

Taiwan's defence ministry said that as the strait was an international waterway, all countries enjoyed freedom of navigation.

The ministry "will not proactively disclose the activities of friendly allied nations' aircraft and vessels," it added in a statement.

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. Some US allies, such as Canada and Britain, also 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.

-Reporting by Lucy Craymer in Wellington; Additional reporting by Liz Lee in Beijing and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Alasdair Pal, Clarence Fernandez, Lincoln Feast and Barbara Lewis/Reuters