As South China Sea Heats Up, Germany Sends Warships To Indo-Pacific Region While Indian Navy Ships Are Already Deployed

Germany has dispatched two warships to the Indo-Pacific region to bolster its military presence amidst escalating tensions between China and Taiwan, as well as in the disputed South China Sea.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius stated at the northern German navy base in Wilhelmshaven that these tensions were threatening the freedom of navigation and free passage on trade routes.

He emphasised that around 40 per cent of Europe's foreign trade flows through the South China Sea.

Pistorius told reporters before the vessels departed, "Looking the other way, showing no presence in the Indo-Pacific in support of the international rules-based order, that's not an option for Germany. Presence matters."

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea as its territory, despite a ruling by an international tribunal that Beijing has no legal basis for these claims.

Additionally, China asserts authority over democratically-governed Taiwan, a claim vehemently opposed by Taiwan.

The supply ship Frankfurt am Main set sail from Wilhelmshaven, while the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg departed from the Spanish harbor of Rota. The vessels will rendezvous at sea before proceeding to Halifax in Canada and then onward to the Indo-Pacific.

While the ships are expected to pass through the South China Sea, it remains unclear whether they will navigate through the Taiwan Strait, a move that would likely provoke China, Germany's top trade partner.

Pistorius stated, "Since several allied navy vessels have passed through the Taiwan Strait, this obviously is an option. But no decision has been taken yet."

In 2021, a German warship sailed into the South China Sea for the first time in nearly two decades, joining other Western nations in increasing military presence in the region due to concerns over China's territorial ambitions.

Meanwhile, Indian Naval Ships Delhi, Shakti, and Kiltan have arrived in Singapore as part of the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet's operational deployment to the South China Sea.

Philippines has protested against China's actions, including harassment, ramming, swarming, shadowing, blocking, dangerous maneuvers, and the use of water cannons.

China's expansive claims in the South China Sea have been a point of contention, with other nations, including Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam, also claiming parts of the sea despite an international ruling against China's claims.