According to Reuters reported on December 15, on the same day, a German warship entered the South China Sea for the first time in nearly 20 years.
A spokesman for Germany's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that the warship was en route to Singapore and had begun to cross the South China Sea.
Screenshot of the report
Since 2002, the frigate Bavaria was the first German warship to cross the South China Sea, through which 40 percent of Europe's foreign trade passes. Berlin officials said the German navy would follow common trade routes.
Reuters believes this means that Germany has joined certain Western countries to expand its military presence in the region. As China becomes Germany's most important trading partner, Germany is "walking a tightrope" between its own security and economic interests. And Germany's export trade to China has helped ease the impact of COVID-19 on Europe's largest economy.
Observer Network noted that in September this year, Reuters quoted a Spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry as saying that China had refused to let the frigate Bavaria dock in Chinese ports.
The Bavaria departed from Wilhelmshaven, Germany, in August for a six-month voyage to the Indo-Pacific region, passing through the South China Sea. As the Bavaria set sail, then-German Defense Minister Karenbauer said in a statement that the operation was aimed at "safeguarding freedom of navigation in international waters," protecting "open societies, and expressing support for regional partners who share German values." German Foreign Minister Maas also claimed that the Bavaria marked that Germany was "taking on the responsibility of maintaining the international order."
Hong Kong's South China Morning Post noted at the time that it was the first time in nearly 20 years that the German navy had made a similar deployment to "show Germany's presence in the Indo-Pacific region."
However, German media said that in March this year, just after the German Ministry of Defense announced that the "Bavaria" would cruise the "Indo-Pacific region" and cross the South China Sea, there was news that Germany on the one hand declared its support for the so-called "freedom of navigation in the South China Sea" to the United States and other allies, and on the other hand, hoped that the frigate could visit shanghai port or Qingdao port. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung pointed out at the time that German warships seeking to visit Chinese ports while cruising the Indo-Pacific made the United States and other allies suspicious.
"Bavaria" Image source: seaforces online
The report also said that although it will cross the South China Sea, the Bavaria is not expected to be close to any waters with disputed sovereignty, and will bypass the Taiwan Strait, and there are no plans to conduct joint exercises with the US military.
At the Foreign Ministry's regular press conference on September 16, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian responded by saying that with the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea has remained generally stable. However, in recent years, in order to safeguard hegemony, a few major powers have frequently sent military aircraft and warships to the South China Sea to flaunt their might, provoke incidents, and deliberately create contradictions on maritime and other issues under the banner of safeguarding freedom of navigation. China's determination to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests is unswerving, and it will continue to properly handle its differences with the countries concerned through consultations and negotiations. We also hope that countries outside the region will respect the efforts of regional countries to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and play a constructive role.
At the same time, "China attaches great importance to the development of the all-round strategic partnership between China and Germany, including cooperation between the two militaries, and is willing to carry out friendly exchanges on the basis of mutual respect and mutual trust, and hopes that the relevant parties will create a good atmosphere for this purpose."
On the morning of December 8, local time, Olaf Scholz from the Spunz Party won a majority of 395 votes in favor in the Bundestag and was elected as the new German chancellor. After being sworn in, Scholz officially ended the 16-year Merkel era and began exercising government power.
Speaking about China policy, The new German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said: "China is our European, the G7 partner, and many global problems can only be solved together." But China is also a contender and a systemic rival."
She said she hoped to cooperate with China under conditions of "fairness" and "respect for human rights."
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