Asian Angle | Why is Germany sending a frigate through the South China Sea?

German government and military officials recently revealed plans for the first German naval voyage to East Asia since 2002, in the wake of the country’s new Indo-Pacific guidelines. Amid increased French and British presence in the region – and explicit invitations from Germany’s partners, Japan in particular – this year’s trip is much less of a signal to Beijing than it is a message of support to Berlin’s allies. 

The voyage was first publicised in 2019 when the frigate Hamburg was selected to conduct joint exercises with India and Australia from May the following year, though this did not proceed further because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Then, last September, the foreign ministry published the Indo-Pacific guidelines, which outline a shift towards increased German naval activity in the region, from more liaison officers to the presence of naval vessels.

Under the guidelines, plans for the German frigate Bayern now encompass a wide range of activities with allied nations and organisations. These include participation in Nato’s Operation Sea Guardian in the Mediterranean, to the European Union’s Operation Atalanta off the Horn of Africa, followed by passage through the Strait of Malacca towards Australia, participation in the United Nations’ sanctions against North Korea, as well as passage through the South China Sea on her way home.  

With the US-China rivalry showing no signs of abating, there has been a stark increase in Western military activity in the disputed waterway – including a French submarine patrol in February and the planned deployment later this year of the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and her multinational carrier group, which is set to include vessels from the United States and the Netherlands.