In the Indo-Pacific region, naval vessels from New Zealand and Australia sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, according to an official statement by New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins on Thursday. The transit, which occurred at approximately 2 PM local time, has been described as a routine operation in adherence to international law, but it also signals the evolving geopolitical dynamics surrounding Taiwan and China’s growing assertiveness.
This marks the first time a New Zealand naval ship has passed through the sensitive waterway since 2017. The passage, while framed as routine by both New Zealand and Australia, comes at a time of heightened global scrutiny of China’s increasing military activities near Taiwan and its efforts to assert control over the region.
Routine Passage or Strategic Message?
Collins’ statement emphasized that the operation was consistent with international law. “The New Zealand Defence Force conducts all activities in accordance with international law and best practice,” she affirmed. The sail-through has been characterized as a routine activity, not intended to provoke any specific nation. However, actions in the Taiwan Strait, even those deemed routine, have significant geopolitical implications.
Australia’s Department of Defence echoed Collins’ sentiment, characterizing the transit as part of their routine operations. It highlighted that the passage was part of its commitment to an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. For both nations, this transit underscores the importance of upholding the international rules-based order, especially in strategically significant waterways.
A Tri-National Operation?
Although New Zealand’s statement mentioned only the involvement of their own forces alongside Australian naval assets, reports from The Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, suggested that the Japanese Self Defense Force destroyer Sazanami was also part of the convoy. This detail, though unconfirmed by Collins’ statement, points to the potential for broader regional cooperation between like-minded democracies in countering Chinese influence in the region.
Whether the operation was truly multilateral or not, the very notion of cooperation between these regional players—New Zealand, Australia, and possibly Japan—speaks volumes about the shared concerns surrounding China’s growing military presence and its claims over Taiwan.
The Importance of the Taiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait is a 180-kilometer-wide waterway separating mainland China from Taiwan, and it is one of the most sensitive and strategically important maritime zones in the world. The strait serves as a vital international shipping route, with roughly half of the global container fleet passing through these waters. The region is also seen as a flashpoint for potential conflict, particularly as China’s rhetoric and military posturing towards Taiwan have become more aggressive in recent years.
China asserts sovereignty over Taiwan, a democratically governed island, and claims exclusive control over the strait, asserting that it falls within Chinese territorial waters. However, international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), supports the view that the Taiwan Strait is an international waterway, open to freedom of navigation.
Both the United States and Taiwan maintain that the strait remains international waters, a position supported by other Western allies, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and European nations like the United Kingdom. These nations argue that ensuring freedom of navigation in this region is critical for upholding global trade norms and maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific.
China’s Response
China, as expected, reacted to the transit with caution. Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Beijing always deals with foreign warships in the strait in accordance with the law. Lin reiterated that China remains vigilant and prepared to respond to any action that might threaten its sovereignty and security.
“We will maintain a high degree of vigilance against any act that may endanger China’s sovereignty and security,” Lin said during a regular press briefing.
China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, views foreign military operations in the Taiwan Strait as an infringement on its sovereignty. For Beijing, any naval passage through the strait, particularly by military vessels, is seen as a direct challenge to its territorial claims and a reminder of the international community’s refusal to acknowledge its authority over Taiwan.
Beijing frequently expresses its displeasure with US naval transits through the Taiwan Strait, which occur roughly once every two months. These operations are often followed by Chinese diplomatic protests and increased military activity in the region. The involvement of US allies such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Britain in these transits adds further complexity to an already tense situation.
The US and Its Allies: Ensuring an “Open and Free Indo-Pacific”
The United States has been at the forefront of countering China’s assertive actions in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Indo-Pacific. US warships regularly navigate these waters as part of what Washington calls freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs). These missions are intended to demonstrate that no single nation can unilaterally control such vital international sea lanes.
While the US Navy’s transits through the Taiwan Strait have become routine, other countries, including Canada, the UK, and Japan, have also conducted similar operations in recent years. These coordinated efforts by the US and its allies highlight the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific in global strategic calculations.
For Australia and New Zealand, long-standing allies of the United States and members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, this recent transit marks a clear affirmation of their commitment to the shared goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific. The region has seen increased Chinese military presence, with frequent Chinese naval patrols, air force overflights, and military exercises intended to project power and intimidate Taiwan and its supporters.
By sending their ships through the Taiwan Strait, New Zealand and Australia signal not only their commitment to international law but also their willingness to participate in operations that counterbalance China’s claims of exclusive sovereignty in the region.
The passage of New Zealand and Australian ships through the Taiwan Strait will likely be welcomed by Taipei, which views such actions as evidence of international support in the face of Beijing’s increasing pressure. Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has consistently called for stronger ties with like-minded democracies to safeguard Taiwan’s sovereignty and democratic way of life.
However, this development also raises concerns about potential escalation. China has stepped up its military activity around Taiwan over the past five years, including conducting large-scale military drills that simulate invasion scenarios. Beijing’s hardline stance on Taiwan has led many analysts to warn that the region could become the flashpoint for a broader conflict between China and the West.
Furthermore, the involvement of regional powers like Japan and Australia, alongside Western allies, adds layers of complexity to an already volatile situation. Japan, in particular, has taken a more assertive stance against Chinese military expansion in recent years, bolstered by its strategic alliance with the US. Should Japan have been involved in this latest transit, it would reflect a growing alignment of regional actors concerned with Beijing’s ambitions.
China’s Growing Military Assertiveness Around Taiwan
Over the last decade, China has consistently ramped up its military presence around Taiwan, conducting frequent air patrols and naval exercises near the island. These maneuvers are meant to signal Beijing’s displeasure with Taiwan’s pro-independence leadership and its deepening ties with countries like the United States.
Since 2017, China has dramatically increased its military overflights into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). While these incursions are not considered a direct threat, they serve as a reminder of China’s ability to rapidly project power into the island’s airspace and potentially disrupt its military activities.
In addition to air patrols, China has conducted large-scale naval exercises around Taiwan, including the use of its aircraft carriers and missile destroyers. These exercises, sometimes involving hundreds of warplanes and dozens of ships, are designed to simulate various military scenarios, from blockades to amphibious landings.
China’s message is clear: it is willing to use force if necessary to reunify Taiwan with the mainland. As tensions rise, the international community is left to weigh the risks of potential military conflict, especially if inadvertent incidents or misunderstandings occur during naval or air operations in the region.
The transit of New Zealand and Australian naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait, though described as a routine operation, carries significant implications in the broader geopolitical context of the Indo-Pacific. It highlights the willingness of regional powers to assert their commitment to international law and to challenge China’s increasingly assertive claims over Taiwan and its surrounding waters.
For New Zealand and Australia, this move reflects a deepening partnership with the United States and other democracies committed to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. For China, it serves as yet another reminder that the international community is not ready to accept its expansive claims over the Taiwan Strait, a critical maritime zone that lies at the heart of global trade and regional stability.
As tensions between China and Taiwan continue to escalate, and as more countries signal their support for Taiwan through naval operations, the region remains on edge, with all parties keenly aware of the potential for miscalculation and conflict. Whether this latest transit will be viewed as a routine passage or as part of a broader strategy to contain China remains to be seen, but it is clear that the Indo-Pacific is fast becoming the central theater in global geopolitics.
