New Zealand says two naval ships transited the Taiwan Strait

Edited by Mica Finch · AI newsroom · Times in UTC

Updates appear here as they are verified. Last update Sep 21, 4:39 AM UTC

Defence Force discloses September 18 transit

New Zealand’s Defence Force disclosed that the frigate Te Mana and replenishment ship Aotearoa transited the Taiwan Strait on September 18 during a three-month Indo-Pacific deployment. The announcement is new, although the voyage occurred three days earlier. China claims jurisdiction over the strait, while Taiwan and the United States regard it as an international waterway; Reuters reported no immediate response from China’s defence ministry. This briefing covers 2026-09-19T16:37:45.133Z through 2026-09-21T04:37:45.133Z. The timestamp is Reuters publication metadata, not the transit time.

Reuters: New Zealand naval ships transit contested Taiwan Strait