The New Zealand military has disclosed that one of its naval vessels was closely monitored by Chinese warships while conducting operations in East Asian waters aimed at enforcing United Nations sanctions against North Korea, underscoring the increasingly crowded and sensitive maritime environment in the region.
In a news release issued on Monday, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) said its replenishment vessel HMNZS Aotearoa was shadowed by as many as seven Chinese naval ships while operating in international waters of the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea during November. The mission formed part of a multinational effort to deter and disrupt illicit ship-to-ship transfers that help Pyongyang evade international sanctions imposed over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the New Zealand statement.
New Zealand is among a group of U.S. allies and partners that have periodically deployed naval and air assets to monitor suspected sanctions-busting activity by North Korea. These operations typically focus on waters near the Korean Peninsula, including the Yellow Sea and parts of the East China Sea that lie close to China’s coastline. Beijing, a long-standing ally of Pyongyang, has frequently dispatched fighter aircraft and warships to track foreign military vessels operating in the area, sometimes resulting in tense and highly scrutinized encounters.
Despite the number of Chinese vessels involved, the NZDF emphasized that the interaction remained professional. “The Chinese navy maintained a safe and professional distance throughout,” the statement said, adding that there were no unsafe maneuvers during the monitoring of the Aotearoa. Commissioned in 2020, the 28,660-ton Aotearoa is New Zealand’s largest naval ship and plays a critical role in sustaining operations far from home waters.
The deployment has also drawn attention due to imagery released by the New Zealand military. One official photograph shows a naval officer aboard the Aotearoa observing another warship through binoculars. The vessel was identified by hull number 1101 as the ROCS Cheng Kung, a frigate operated by the Taiwanese navy. The image was taken at an undisclosed location.
A spokesperson for the NZDF confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday that the Aotearoa “briefly encountered” the Cheng Kung on November 5 while transiting the Taiwan Strait en route from the South China Sea to the East China Sea. The encounter occurred during a period of heightened military activity in and around the strait, a strategically vital waterway that has become a focal point of regional tensions.
Closer examination of the released photograph suggests the presence of a third warship in the background, barely visible when the image is enlarged. The silhouette indicates that all three vessels—the Aotearoa, the Taiwanese frigate, and the unidentified ship—were sailing in the same direction through the Taiwan Strait. It was not immediately clear whether the third vessel belonged to the Chinese navy, though one naval observer suggested it could have been a Chinese Type 052C destroyer.
China’s Defence Ministry has previously confirmed that the People’s Liberation Army deployed naval and air units to monitor and track the Aotearoa during its passage through the Taiwan Strait. Beijing claims the self-ruled island of Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to reunify it with the mainland, by force if necessary. China also asserts sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the roughly 110-mile-wide strait, despite it being recognized by many countries as international waters.
The United States and several of its allies regularly conduct naval transits through the Taiwan Strait to challenge what they see as excessive maritime claims and to underscore the principle of freedom of navigation. Such movements are routinely criticized by Beijing, which views them as provocations.
During its November mission, the Aotearoa covered approximately 158,000 square miles of ocean while supporting sanctions enforcement against North Korea. According to the NZDF, the ship helped interrupt two possibly illicit ship-to-ship transfers, identified seven vessels of interest, and broadcast 79 deterrence messages aimed at discouraging sanctions violations.
Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the Aotearoa’s deployment in early to mid-November marked the second time since 2024 that the New Zealand navy has conducted monitoring and surveillance of suspected North Korean illicit activities in waters surrounding Japan. Tokyo has been a leading supporter of sanctions enforcement efforts, citing concerns over North Korea’s continued weapons development and regional security implications.
Commander Rob Welford, the commanding officer of HMNZS Aotearoa, said the mission demonstrated the value of multinational cooperation. “Through maritime patrol, airborne surveillance and international cooperation, we delivered tangible impact—from deterring illicit activity to supporting allied ships at sea,” he said in the NZDF release. “The professionalism of our own crews, and those of our partner nations, was evident throughout.”
Japan’s foreign ministry echoed that sentiment, saying it works closely with countries such as New Zealand and with international organizations to gather information on vessels suspected of violating United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The United States and its allies and partners are expected to continue deploying forces to enforce UN sanctions against North Korea, which has repeatedly refused to abandon its nuclear weapons and missile programs. As these missions increasingly intersect with China’s strategic interests, encounters like the one involving the Aotearoa highlight the delicate balance between enforcing international law and managing great-power rivalry in some of the world’s most contested waters.
