The South China Sea dispute, which plagues numerous countries around Asia and the Pacific, is an issue New Zealand is "very, very aware of", the Prime Minister said.
The issue was brought up at Jacinda Ardern's bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who spoke of China's stationing in the sea before media were ushered out of the room.
He said despite distance, the dispute would at some point impact New Zealand.
The heavily contested South China Sea, part of the Pacific Ocean, was rich with natural resources.
China has continued its military expansion into the South China Sea despite fierce opposition. Six neighbouring countries have also laid claims to the sea, which borders Vietnam, Brunei and the Philippines.
When asked if she should take Mahathir Mohamad's comments as a warning, Ms Ardern said, "I think we’re getting a little bit too excited about those comments".
"As a member of the region it has an affect on free movement, so regardless of whether it is right next door, we're affected as anyone else because we have vessels moving through that sea.
"We didn’t need anyone to point out to us the importance of the issue for the region - We’re very, very aware of it."
She said New Zealand's view on the dispute had been consistent.
"We have urged all claimants to uphold international law, to uphold the international conventions around the law of the sea. To ensure that no activity continues to escalate any tensions.
"We are going to rely on dialogue to resolve the issue. We’ve called on all those involved to de-escalate and continue dialogue."
Ms Ardern said the message from the East Asia Summit was for all claimants to form a code of conduct.
The pair also discussed trade issues, Malaysia’s political change of direction, environmental issues and plastics.
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