Last Friday, as it carried out maritime sanctions against North Korea, a Dutch naval vessel encountered interference from two Chinese fighter jets, as reported by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Defence.

The HNLMS Tromp, identified as a frigate, was encircled multiple times by the Chinese aircraft while operating in international waters, according to the statement.

Furthermore, the statement highlighted that the patrol helicopter of the warship encountered a similar “approach” by the Chinese aircraft during its surveillance in the region, creating a situation potentially unsafe.

The Netherlands, a founding member of NATO, joins a growing list of nations reporting incidents of Chinese aircraft or vessels approaching or intimidating their military assets in the area.

In June 2023, China engaged in a risky interception of a US reconnaissance plane in the South China Sea.

Additionally, the US released documentation in October 2023 detailing numerous instances of aggressive maneuvers by Chinese aircraft.

In April of the same year, a Chinese coastguard vessel collided with a Philippine ship within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

More recently, in May, a Chinese jet deployed flares near an Australian military helicopter in the Yellow Sea.

In 2022, Ely Ratner, the US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, warned that China’s escalating aggressiveness in the South China Sea could potentially lead to a significant incident or accident.

As per the Dutch ministry’s statement, the HNLMS Tromp had been deployed since March, initially navigating through the Red Sea before reaching the Indo-Pacific region in June.

On June 3, it made a port call in Busan, South Korea, as part of its seven-month deployment, as announced in a press release.

The frigate was engaged in patrols in the East China Sea, supporting a multinational UN task force responsible for enforcing maritime sanctions against North Korea.

The ministry stated that the vessel is scheduled to conclude its mission and return to the Dutch city of Den Helder by mid-September, traversing the Panama Canal and the Caribbean Sea.