New Zealand warship entered the Taiwan Strait in early November, closely monitored by the PLA's ships and aircraft.

New Zealand warship once entered the Taiwan Strait in early November, and PLA fighter jets simulated attacks

Did a New Zealand warship once enter the sensitive Taiwan Strait in early November? On November 27, Reuters released an exclusive report: New Zealand's Defence Minister Collins stated that the country's large warship "Aotearoa" had rarely entered the sensitive Taiwan Strait in early November. A source said that when the "Aotearoa" passed through the Taiwan Strait, it was closely tracked and monitored by the PLA navy and aircraft.

It is not common for a New Zealand warship to enter the Taiwan Strait. The last time it was publicly reported that a warship entered the Taiwan Strait was in September 2024, when it was accompanied by an Australian warship. If we go further back, it would have to be traced back to the first entry in 2017.

The "Aotearoa" was built by South Korea, a major shipbuilding country. However, it is only a support ship, not equipped with heavy weapons, but it has the ability to land helicopters. This warship mainly performs sea-based fuel and material supply tasks on a daily basis.

In October this year, New Zealand stated that the ship would go to the Northeast Asia region to carry out United Nations sanctions missions. As for the mission of entering the Taiwan Strait, there has never been any related reports. According to the statement from the New Zealand Defence Minister, the ship entered the Taiwan Strait from the South China Sea on November 5 and then went north to the Northeast Asia region. On November 6, the PLA conducted a new round of "joint combat readiness patrols" in the Taiwan Strait, and J-16 fighter jets were actively active near the Taiwan Strait and the Bashi Channel.

According to the information from the sources, during its passage through the Taiwan Strait, the PLA's ships and aircraft closely monitored the New Zealand warship, and even simulated sinking exercises with the aircraft.

Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1849931614034057/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.