Germany¡¯s growing military engagement in the Indo-Pacific ¡ª including its latest deployment of two warships to Japan ¡ª is intended to signal that Berlin won¡¯t accept disruptions to key international sea lanes, its navy chief said in a veiled swipe at China.
Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack told The Japan Times in an exclusive interview that this is particularly the case as Beijing launches an ¡°unprecedented¡± maritime armaments program, builds the world¡¯s largest navy, creates artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea and ¡°wants to gain control¡± over crucial sea routes.
¡°We cannot close our eyes to this as it would imply that we accept a new status quo,¡± he said.
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