German navy chief Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schonbach said Germany’s dispatch of a warship to the Indo-Pacific underscores his country’s concern over the risks threatening freedom of navigation and rule-based international order in the region, in an apparent reference to China.

Speaking at a news conference, Schonbach said escalating tensions, territorial disputes, and the changing military balance in the region can have an extensive impact that could stretch beyond Asia.

The ship was dispatched to show support for Japan, the United States, and other partners, and to join their efforts in advocating peace, free navigation, and the rules-based international order, Schonbach said.

“The South China Sea is a global common, that is, a sea area that belongs to everyone, so it cannot be taken possession of or claimed by anyone if … we abide by the international world order,” he said.

The Bayern will travel through the South China Sea, where China is increasingly pressing its territorial claims to demonstrate its right to freedom of passage.

The #German navy frigate #Bayern made a port call in #Tokyo on Nov. 5. This is the first time in two decades that a warship from Germany has visited #Japan. The Bayern, which left German shores in August,...https://t.co/CQFqHOrDPW

— Vision Times (@vision_times) November 9, 2021

The frigate arrived Friday in Tokyo, making it the first German warship to visit Japan in nearly 20 years. It conducted joint exercises with other military forces along the way, including two-day exercises with a Japanese destroyer in the Pacific Ocean, German officials said. 

German warship visits Japan for first time in 20 years

Japan's defense minister has said the visit by the frigate Bayern underlines the importance of the international alliance against efforts "to change the status quo" in the region by force. https://t.co/9pFJNkTEg3

— Ann 🌻 (@BannedAnn) November 8, 2021

In this context, a virtual meeting was held between the presidents of the United States, India, and Japan, alongside the prime minister of Australia on September 16, and a new quadripartite alliance with Australia and the UK, known as AUKUS, was formed in the face of China with the aim of besieging it, according to the Foreign Policy.

Earlier, the newspaper announced that "the US administration is focused on formulating a comprehensive strategy in the Indo-Pacific.