German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in the crosshairs of the United States and China.
Following the French submarine through the South China Sea, Germany will send frigates through the South China Sea, becoming the first German warship to pass through the South China Sea in 19 years. The outside world is concerned whether Germany, which has always advocated close economic cooperation with China, is joining the United States to control China. Other military experts have analyzed that the relevant military dispatch highlights Taiwan‘s important strategic position. (By Wen Haixin)
Reuters reported that German government officials said on Tuesday (March 2) that a frigate of the country will go to Asia in August, the return trip will pass through the disputed South China Sea, becoming the first German warship to pass through the South China Sea since 2002.
As early as January, Germany has revealed that it will send a frigate to visit Japan, South Korea, Australia and other countries in the summer, it is understood that the planned voyage of the frigate, including crossing the Mediterranean and Suez Canal, then sailing to the Horn of Africa, to participate in the code name “Atalanta” (Atalanta) anti-piracy mission; then cross the Indian Ocean and the Malacca Strait Then sailed to the direction of the Korean Peninsula and participated in international sanctions monitoring operations against North Korea for several weeks before returning through the South China Sea. The voyage will last for six months.
German foreign and defense department senior officials revealed that the frigate will not enter the 12 nautical miles of the disputed islands and reefs. In addition to Germany, the French nuclear-powered attack submarine “Emeraude” (SNA Emeraude) and “Seine” support ship (BSAM Seine) also recently crossed the South China Sea waters. At the same Time, China and the United States in the South China Sea tug of war continues, there are voices that the European Union also joined the United States and China tug of war “war group”.
Military experts: Germany cooperates with the U.S. position
Taiwan National Policy Research Foundation associate researcher and military expert Li Zhengxiu on Wednesday (March 3) to analyze this Taiwan, China’s militarization in the South China Sea, the United States and other countries are quite nervous. He said the South China Sea is a strategic location, the annual shipping volume passing through accounts for more than 30% of global trade and economy, China wants to treat the South China Sea as its own internal sea or sphere of influence, not only endanger the security of the southeast region, but also affect the entire world economic development . On the basis of China’s power expansion, the EU and the US have the same interests, so they want to cooperate with the US and restrain China’s behavior in the South China Sea. However, he believes that Germany’s action is actually not very useful.
Li Zhengxiu said: they (Germany) and in order not to let mainland China feel that it is to act against them, is to cooperate with the United States, right. Germany announced at the same time, but also stressed that it will not be close to the 12-mile range, is to say that you can continue to pass through the right of free navigation at sea, and will not deliberately like the United States with a direct challenge to mainland China, because the back of the supply is not enough, can not pick up the force, you come just to make a statement, for the tug of war between China and the United States, in fact, do not make the force, there is little effect.
Analysis: Germany will have limited support for Taiwan
Li Zhengxiu continued to point out that Taiwan’s geostrategic location is very important, in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia’s intersection, and in and out of China’s location, so the United States will not give up Taiwan, the first island chain, will definitely support Taiwan. But for Germany this time through the South China Sea, whether it means that after the United States will be the same support Taiwan? Li Zhengxiu has reservations about this.
Li Zhengxiu said: Germany will be selective, after all, Germany has always been in the European Union, advocating a closer economic cooperation with mainland China, especially now the German Chancellor Merkel (Merkel) wants to maintain Germany’s huge interests in the Chinese market, so they do not want to turn the other cheek with mainland China. But they also know very well that European countries have always boasted human rights, and they cannot ignore them. So in this, Germany will be caught in a dilemma, very careful.
Jia Qingguo, a professor at Peking University’s School of International Relations who is also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, recently told China Land Media that on the South China Sea issue, China and the United States may have friction and conflict in the short term, but in the medium and long term, China and the United States may find a consensus and way to manage the issue, and said that the strategic competition between China and the United States, as Biden said, is more of a benign competition. Jia Qingguo also believes that Taiwan may see a certain degree of cooling in the future.
In the South China Sea dispute, China used to claim almost all the waters of the South China Sea, and even set up military posts on artificial islands; the U.S. Navy regularly carries out freedom of navigation missions in the South China Sea.
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