Germany ready to help de-escalate tensions in disputed South China Sea, its foreign minister says

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Germany’s top diplomat said Thursday that China’s actions in the South China Sea violate the rights of Asian coastal states like the Philippines and threaten freedom of navigation, but added that territorial disputes have to be resolved peacefully because “the world doesn’t need another crisis.”

Annalena Baerbock, who held talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other top officials while visiting Manila, said Germany was ready to help de-escalate growing tensions and added that it was crucial to set up “mechanisms” to resolve the disputes peacefully and foster dialogue.

“There are truly rough winds blowing across the South China Sea and this is happening in the middle of one of the most dynamic economic regions of the world,” she told a news conference in Manila, speaking through an interpreter.

“It is now important to set up mechanisms to solve tensions together in a peaceful way,” she said without elaborating. “I think we all agree that the world doesn’t need another crisis. There are too many crises at once.”

In a symbolic gesture of Germany’s support for the Philippines, Baerbock visited the coast guard headquarters in Manila and boarded a patrol ship, where she briefly flew one of a number of surveillance drones that Germany donated to the Philippines.

Philippine coast guard officials said the drones would help the country defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea, enforce maritime laws and undertake search and rescue missions during accidents at sea.

Chinese officials did not immediately issue a reaction.

The decades-long territorial dispute escalated last year between Beijing and Manila, sparking fears it could degenerate into a major conflict that could