The New Zealand replenishment vessel HMNZS Aotearoa was shadowed by seven different Chinese warships while enforcing United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea in the East China and Yellow Seas, according to a New Zealand Defence Force media release reported in the three-hour period ending at 3:45 a.m. UTC on Dec. 8. The New Zealand Defence Force stated that HMNZS Aotearoa conducted the patrol as part of bolstering sanctions enforcement, alongside a P-8A Poseidon aircraft. A photo provided by the Defence Force shows the Republic of China (Taiwan) frigate ROCS Cheng Kung, hull number 1101, with another foreign naval ship, possibly a Chinese destroyer, visible in the background. The incident occurred during operations in the East China and Yellow Seas, regions targeted for monitoring North Korean sanctions violations, as detailed in the New Zealand Defence Force's media centre update.
