Germany's naval warship, the "Bayern," set sail for the South China Sea, fully loaded with the country's desire to play a small part in the geopolitical stalemate between China and the West.
The Bayern's deployment is the first time in nearly two decades, joining other Western countries in making its military presence felt in the region in the face of increasing concern over China's territorial claims.
The warship departed the German naval base of Wilhelmshaven on Monday during a send-off ceremony participated by the nation's defense secretary, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.
The frigate's departure from Wilhelmshaven comes after the pandemic broke out in 2020 that ended plans for a more state of the art naval vessel to carry out the mission for the year, Defense News said.
China claims vast areas of the South China Sea and has set up military installations on man-made islands in the region that houses gas depots and an abundant fishing.
The United States navy, in a display of military muscle against Beijing's territorial claims, has regularly conducted "freedom of navigation" operations in which American warships cruise close by some of the disputed islands, Reuters disclosed.
According to the Global Times, the Bayern's upcoming port visit seems to be friendly, conveying a message the warship came not for any kind of animosity, but to improve openness, communication channels and mutual trust with China.
Chinese government may still hold back on a response to the German warship's port of call request before officials figure out the real intent of the visit, Wang Yiwei, chief of the institute of international affairs at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Monday.
Meanwhile, France, Australia, New Zealand and Japan have also recently ramped up their naval activity in the Pacific waters as a form of defiance to China, Newsweek reported.
Last week, the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and other support ships entered the SCS despite warnings from the communist country.
German naval expert and guest speaker at the U.S. Naval Academy, in a political standpoint, the frigate's deployment to SCS is significant, towards Germany's allies in Europe and in the region, and toward China, according to Sebastien Bruns.
