New Zealand Frigate Te Mana and Oiler Aotearoa Transit Taiwan Strait

New Zealand Defence Force frigate HMNZS Te Mana and replenishment oiler HMNZS Aotearoa transited the Taiwan Strait on September 18, 2026, part of a three-month Indo-Pacific deployment, the Defence Force announced September 21. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called it 'a routine activity' conducted 'in a safe and professional way... under international law, in international waters,' and said he did not expect backlash from China, New Zealand's top trading partner. Beijing's defence ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment — a notably more restrained reaction than in November 2025, when PLA forces tracked Aotearoa's previous strait transit and conducted simulated attack runs. Taiwan's MND affirmed the strait is an international waterway open to freedom of navigation but said it does not proactively disclose the activities of 'friendly allied nations'' aircraft and vessels.