China’s Military Deploys Electronic Jamming on Dutch Warship in South China Sea

The Dutch frigate is on a mission aiming to promote free passage and keep strategic waterways safe, according to the Dutch Defense Ministry.

A member of the Dutch Marine Band waits for the arrival of the Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS De Ruyter at Tanjung Perak port in Surabaya, Indonesia, on May 14, 2026. Juni Kriswanto / AFP via Getty Image

China on Wednesday said it deployed naval and air forces to deter a Dutch frigate, in a rare encounter between Beijing and Amsterdam in the hotly contested South China Sea.

Chinese forces used “necessary measures, including verbal warnings and electronic jamming,” to force the Dutch frigate away on May 27, China’s military said in an online statement.