German warships move into the South China Sea

The German Navy will sail on the SCS trade route.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany has sent a warship into the South China Sea (LSC) for the first time in two decades. Joining other Western countries to increase their military presence in the Chinese-claimed region.

China claims most of the LSC’s territory and has set up military outposts on artificial islands in waters rich in natural gas and other natural resources. The US is showing its presence to challenge China’s territorial claims.

Washington routinely holds an operation called freedom of navigation. During the operation, US Navy ships sailed near Chinese artificial islands. Beijing also strongly rebuked the US missions, saying the operations did not promote peace or stability.

Washington has made fighting China the focus of its national security policy. The US is looking for partners to counter what it calls China’s coercive foreign and economic policies.

On Monday (2/8), the German government in Berlin said the country’s Navy would sail on trade routes. Frigates are also not expected to sail through the Taiwan Strait, a routine U.S. route that China has also criticized.

But Germany stressed the mission was aimed at showing Germany does not accept China’s claims to the LSC. Germany is trying to balance economic and security interests because China is one of their biggest trading partners.

German exports to China helped the country mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic as Europe’s largest economy. German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer visits the Port of Wilhelmshaven to see the Bavarian frigates take off.

On that voyage that would take seven months German ship will sail to Australia, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam. The ship is expected to pass through the SCS in mid-December, being German battleship the first to pass through these waters since 2002.

“We want existing laws to be respected, sea routes to be free to navigate, open communities to be protected and trade to be fair and just,” Kramp-Karrenbauer said.

Britain, Japan, France, Australia and New Zealand are also expanding their activities in the Pacific to counter Chinese influence in the region.

source : Reuters

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