This Tuesday, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) announced that its largest naval vessel encountered a Taiwanese warship while transiting the Taiwan Strait in November, and released a photo documenting the encounter.

While Taiwan’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment after an NZDF spokesperson told Reuters of the encounter, a senior Taiwanese security official noted that Taiwan routinely provides “escorts” to ships from like-minded countries transiting the Taiwan Strait, knowing that these vessels are frequently harassed or subjected to simulated attacks by the Chinese military.

Although New Zealand does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Taiwan considers it an important like-minded democratic partner, and the two sides maintain trade and economic offices in their respective capitals.