German Navy Chief Vows Long-Term Commitment to Indo-Pacific

German Navy Chief Vows Long-Term Commitment to Indo-Pacific
Germany's Chief of Navy Vice Adm. Kay-Achim Schonbach attends a press conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, on Nov. 9, 2021. Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:

TOKYO—The chief of Germany’s navy said Tuesday that its dispatch of a warship to the Indo-Pacific underscores his country’s concern that freedom of navigation and the rule-based international order are being threatened in the region, an apparent reference to its biggest trading partner, China.

Vice Adm. Kay-Achim Schonbach, in Tokyo for a port call by the frigate Bayern, said escalating tensions, territorial disputes and the changing military balance in the region can have an extensive impact beyond Asia.