New Zealand naval vessel sails through Taiwan Strait for first time since 2017

By Lewis Jackson, Reuters

Naval vessels from New Zealand and Australia sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, according to a statement from New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins on Thursday.

The two ships sailed through the sensitive strait from 2pm local time on Wednesday in what Collins described as a routine activity consistent with international law.

"The New Zealand Defence Force conducts all activities in accordance with international law and best practice," she said.

It was the first time a New Zealand naval ship had passed through the strait since 2017, she added in a statement.

A Japanese newspaper earlier reported that the two vessels were joined by Japanese Self Defense Force destroyer Sazanami.

Collins' statement only mentioned New Zealand and Australia.

Australia's Department of Defence confirmed the transit, which it called routine, and said it demonstrated the country's commitment to an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own, says it alone exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction over the strait. Both the US and Taiwan say the strait - a major trade route through which about half of global container ships pass - is an international waterway.

A spokesperson for China's ministry of foreign affairs said China has always dealt with foreign warships in the strait in accordance with the law.

"We will maintain a high degree of vigilance against any act that may endanger China's sovereignty and security," Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing.

US warships sail through the strait around once every two months, drawing the ire of Beijing, and some US allies like Canada and Britain have also made occasional transits.

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

- Reuters