AFP — China’s assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea and tensions in the Taiwan Strait threaten international security and European interests, Germany’s foreign minister said on Wednesday.
“What happens here in the Indo-Pacific has a direct impact on European security and vice versa,” Johann Wadephul said in a speech in Jakarta, using an alternative description for the Asia-Pacific region.
“China’s growing military assertiveness in the South China Sea not only threatens Asia’s security but also undermines the international rules-based order,” Wadephul said after talks with his Indonesian counterpart.
“With essential trade routes running right through this area, it also constitutes an economic risk.”
He said the same applied to frictions in the Taiwan Strait, where China has deployed fighter jets, warships and coast guard ships near Taiwan and has held several major military exercises around the island in recent years.
Communist China has never ruled Taiwan but Beijing insists it is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.
“Any escalation would have serious consequences for global security and prosperity, and directly affect German and European interests, too,” he said.
His comments are likely to cause more friction with Beijing after it lashed out at Berlin this week over his remarks in Japan, where he accused China of being “increasingly aggressive” and trying to “unilaterally change” regional borders.
China warned Germany on Monday against “inciting confrontation and hyping up tensions” in the region.
Wadephul said in a statement on Sunday before leaving for Asia that China was “increasingly asserting its regional supremacy” and questioning principles of international law.
He also said on Wednesday Russia’s war in Ukraine had an impact on regional security in Asia because of Chinese and North Korean support for Moscow.
“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is not only an attack on the European peace order, it also affects Indo-Pacific security,” he said.
“The Russian war machine runs in part on North Korean troops and ammunition, as well as China’s decisive economic support.”
China insists it is a neutral party in the conflict but many of Ukraine’s allies believe that Beijing has provided support to Moscow.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attended talks between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders on Monday.
He said Ukraine should not be forced to surrender its Donbas region to Russia in negotiations, likening it to the United States giving up Florida.
Trump welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin for a summit in Alaska days before those talks.
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