(Translated from German)
China calls driving through Taiwan Strait "wrong signal"
Last updated: 14.09.2024 11:01 a.m.
A frigate and its escort ship of the German Navy cross the Taiwan Strait on their way to the Philippines. From the German point of view, this is an international body of water - but for China it is a provocation.
China sees the German navy's passage through the strait between the People's Republic and Taiwan as a threat to security. "The behavior of the German side increases the security risk and sends the wrong signals," said Marine Colonel Li Xi of the Eastern Association of the Chinese Army. The troops in the area of operation are always on high alert and take decisive action against threats and provocations.
China and Taiwan monitor crossing
The frigate "Baden-Württemberg" and the task force supply ship "Frankfurt am Main" had crossed the so-called Taiwan Strait on Friday on their way from Seoul in South Korea to Manila in the Philippines. China's People's Liberation Army as well as the military in Taiwan monitored the passage, according to their own statements.
China had already spoken in advance of possible provocations directed against the sovereignty of the People's Republic. Beijing counts the waters in the strait and Taiwan itself as part of its territory, although the island state has had an independent and democratically elected government for decades.
Pistorius: "It's the shortest way"
Other countries consider the shipping lane in the Taiwan Strait to be international waters - including Germany: "It is the shortest route. It's the safest way given the weather, and it's international waters, so we're going through," Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, referring to the crossing of the navy.
The "Baden-Württemberg" takes part in international maneuvers in the Indo-Pacific. With the trip through the Taiwan Strait, the German government wants to send a signal: that Germany is also insisting on unhindered shipping on one of the most important trade routes in the region.
Kiesewetter: "Don't be impressed by threats"
Countless container ships pass through the 180-kilometre-wide strait every day, transporting goods from Asia to all over the world. There is backing for the German approach from the opposition. This is long overdue, said foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter of the CDU.
"In this sense, the passage of German naval ships through the Taiwan Strait is an expression of the validity of the international rules-based order," Kiesewetter said, and that one is "not impressed by China's threats."
Tensions with Beijing have increased
The USA, but also other European countries such as the Netherlands, regularly send warships through the Taiwan Strait. Germany hesitated for a long time. Just three years ago, the frigate "Bayern" had given Taiwan a wide berth - probably out of consideration for China.
But geopolitical tensions with Beijing have increased significantly since then, as have China's threats against Taiwan - like the People's Republic an important trading partner of Germany.
Wolfgang Niedermark of the Federation of German Industries therefore supports the efforts of the German government to maintain the international order: "The rules are only valid if they are enforced consistently and without exceptions - and of course Germany must also take responsibility for them."
With information from Ruth Kirchner, ARD Studio Beijing, currently Berlin |
