Dispatch of Warships to the South China Sea After 20 Years... Participation in China Containment
UK and France Also Successively Deploy Aircraft Carriers and Submarines
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the German government announced plans to dispatch a warship to the South China Sea in August, it is expected that Germany will directly join the South China Sea dispute between the United States and China, following the United Kingdom and France, which previously sent aircraft carriers and submarines. The U.S. government welcomed Germany's support regarding this news, while the Chinese government issued a warning message not to infringe upon its territorial waters.
On the 3rd (local time), according to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) and major foreign media, the German government plans to dispatch one frigate to the South China Sea in August. According to an anonymous senior German official, one German frigate departing for Asia in August will pass through the South China Sea, but it will not pass through the 12-nautical-mile territorial waters of the area claimed by China. Major foreign media reported that this is the first time in 20 years since 2002 that the German government is dispatching a warship to the South China Sea.
Immediately after the foreign media reports, the U.S. State Department issued a statement on the same day, saying, "We welcome Germany's support in upholding a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific," and emphasized, "The international community has a vital interest in preserving an open maritime order."
Recently, in the South China Sea, the United States and its allies have been conducting joint exercises as part of the "freedom of navigation" operations against China's territorial claims. Ahead of Germany, France dispatched the nuclear-powered attack submarine Emeraud to the South China Sea, and the United Kingdom deployed a task force led by the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth to Japan earlier this year, planning to conduct joint exercises with the U.S. military in the South China Sea.
On the other hand, the Chinese government issued a warning message, calling it an act of infringing upon its territorial waters. Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, strongly warned on the same day, "All countries can enjoy freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea under international law, but they cannot use this as a pretext to harm the sovereignty and security of coastal states."
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