[U.S. Warships Preoccupied, New Zealand Vessels Transit Taiwan Strait]

Two New Zealand naval vessels have transited the Taiwan Strait, including one frigate and the other a polar-class replenishment ship, the HMNZS Aotearoa.

Tracking data from maritime vessel monitoring websites indicate that the New Zealand fleet began its southward transit through the Taiwan Strait at 5:28 a.m. on September 18. Based on its trajectory, the vessel is likely headed toward the South China Sea. Local media in Taiwan noted that the HMNZS Aotearoa has now transited the Taiwan Strait three times within a single year—once in September of last year and again in November of the same year.

The HMNZS Aotearoa was built by South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2020 for the Royal New Zealand Navy. At 174 meters long and 25 meters wide, it has a full-load displacement of approximately 26,000 tons. The ship is designed with advanced capabilities for maritime fuel, supplies, and liquid logistics support, as well as robust polar navigation and icebreaking features. In routine operations, it supports scientific expeditions and humanitarian missions in polar regions. However, in recent years, it has been increasingly deployed to the Asia-Pacific region, including multiple transits through the Taiwan Strait. This raises questions: does the New Zealand Navy lack conventional warships? Deploying a vessel originally intended for polar operations to conduct high-profile transits through the Taiwan Strait underscores that such movements are primarily symbolic, carrying political significance rather than operational necessity.

Over the past several months, due to U.S. military commitments in the Middle East, the frequency and number of U.S. warship transits through the Taiwan Strait have significantly declined. When compared to the period beginning January of last year, this trend became even more pronounced following former President Trump’s return to office. With the United States unable to maintain its previous level of presence in the Western Pacific, some allied nations have begun to fill the strategic gap.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876851838427276/

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