German Defense Minister Kramper Kahlenbauer intends to stop China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific region through the German Bundeswehr. Experts say Kahlenbauer’s tone is tougher than before.
According to the Munich Mercury, Germany made plans to send a navy warship to the Indo-Pacific. This summer, the Bavaria will depart from Wilhelmshaven for the Far East. On the way back, the frigate will also cross the South China Sea. The German Federal Ministry of Defense announced the news in early March.
German Defense Minister Kramper Kahlenbauer has now announced the German intentions for the first Time. The Wehrmacht is traveling to the Indo-Pacific region, mainly to stop China’s expansion. The CDU politician tweeted: “We are troubled to hear cantons of military deterrence and even calls for war preparedness from China. I think we should cooperate with China where possible and oppose it where necessary.”
A few days ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping told a meeting of the National People’s Congress that “the entire military should coordinate the relationship between construction and preparation for war, be prepared to deal with all kinds of complex and difficult situations at any time, resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and provide strong support for the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist state.”
Kramper-Karrenbauer further elaborated her thoughts to the German editorial network. She said, “With global interconnectedness comes global responsibility. The Indo-Pacific region is the most strategically important region in the world today, where important decisions about freedom, peace and prosperity are made, and Germany is directly affected by this.” The German defense minister added that “Germany wants to send a clear signal of solidarity and to vow a presence in the region together with Germany’s allies.”
The German Foreign Ministry launched its Indo-Pacific guidelines last September. In early March, the German Defense Ministry announced that the frigate Bayern would sail from Wilhelmshaven to the Far East this summer, crossing the South China Sea on her way back. This will be the first German warship to cross the South China Sea since 2002.
Helena Legarda, a China security and foreign policy expert at the Mercator Center for China Studies in Berlin, said Kramper-Karrenbauer’s new statement “doesn’t seem to imply any change in previous policy,” but “is definitely a stronger tone ” The minister made no direct reference to the Navy’s mission in the Indian Pacific. She believes that Kramper-Karrenbauer “wants to send a message to Beijing that Germany is ready to engage further in the region and to deal with China’s self-confidence if necessary.”
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