BERLIN (Reuters) – China has denied entry of a German warship to a local port, a German foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.
The ship involved is the frigate “Bayern,” the spokesman said in a briefing, but did not identify the Chinese port. The ship sailed https://www.reuters.com/world/china/german-warship-heads-south-china-sea-amid-tension-with-beijing-2021-08-02 from Germany last month for six – monthly mission to the South China Sea.
“China has decided it does not want a visit to the port and we took note of it,” the spokesman said.
China’s defense and foreign ministers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday evening in Beijing.
China claims areas of the South China Sea and has established military outposts on artificial islands in waters containing gas fields and rich fishing, but some land claims are being challenged by some Western nations.
Berlin has made it clear that Bayern’s mission serves to underscore the fact that Germany does not accept China’s claims, although officials have said the German navy will adhere to common trade routes.
(Report by Alexander Ratz; Additional Report by Yew Lun Tian; Writing by Emma Thomasson; Editing by Pravin Char)