Naval ships from New Zealand and Australia transited the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, as confirmed by New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins in a statement released on Thursday.
The vessels navigated the disputed strait starting at 2 PM local time on Wednesday, an action Collins characterized as a standard operation in line with international law. “The New Zealand Defence Force undertakes all operations in compliance with international law and established best practices,” she stated.
This marked the first occasion since 2017 that a New Zealand naval vessel has traversed the strait. Additionally, a Japanese newspaper reported that the two ships were accompanied by the Japanese Self Defense Force destroyer Sazanami, although Collins’ statement only referenced the New Zealand and Australian vessels.
There was no immediate response from Australia’s Department of Defence or the Defence Minister’s office.
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