German President Voices Europe’s Unease Over Rising Strains in the South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier struck a cautious tone on Tuesday during his state visit to the Philippines, saying Europe is watching with growing concern as tensions escalate in the hotly contested South China Sea. Drawing a parallel to the Strait of Hormuz crisis, he warned that a major flare‑up could imperil freedom of navigation — a lifeline for the global economy.
Speaking alongside Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila, Steinmeier noted that the recent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, triggered by regional conflict, had sent shockwaves through energy and fertilizer markets worldwide. European leaders, he argued, cannot afford to be indifferent to the territorial standoffs unfolding in Southeast Asia’s most vital waterway, particularly those between Manila and Beijing.
While the United States does not assert territorial claims in the South China Sea, it has repeatedly underscored its treaty obligation to defend the Philippines — its oldest ally in Asia — in the event of an armed attack on Filipino forces, vessels, or aircraft. Washington has urged restraint and adherence to international law.
China, for its part, has consistently warned the U.S. to stay out of the disputes, which also involve Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Beijing’s sweeping claims — rejected by an international tribunal in 2016 — remain a source of friction.
“The situation in the South China Sea … continues to be tense and that gives us cause to be concerned because the Indo-Pacific, in particular the region of Southeast Asia, is one of the most economically dynamic regions of the world,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “If incidents occur in that part of the world that is also cause for great concern in Europe. Violations of the international law of the sea endanger the freedom of navigation as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has brought home to us recently in a very drastic manner.”
The two presidents discussed the Hormuz crisis during a closed‑door meeting, Steinmeier confirmed. He refrained from singling out any specific country for the South China Sea tensions, though Berlin has previously criticized China’s actions as infringing on the rights of coastal states like the Philippines and threatening navigational freedoms.
Former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, during a Manila visit in 2024, bluntly stated that China’s “risky maneuvers” — including minor collisions with Philippine vessels — were troubling to Germany and other European nations “because such risky maneuvers violate rights and opportunities for economic development of your own country and other littoral states.” She also called China’s expansive claims “not covered by international law” and urged a peaceful resolution. During that trip, she toured the Philippine coast guard headquarters, briefly operating one of the surveillance drones donated by Germany.
On Tuesday, Steinmeier reaffirmed Germany’s continued material and technical support for the Philippine coast guard, which has served as Manila’s frontline guardian in frequent maritime altercations with Chinese forces.
President Marcos expressed gratitude, saying Germany “has consistently and publicly expressed its support for Philippine efforts to uphold the rule of law in the South China Sea, including by calling on all parties to abide by the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award.” That landmark ruling, based on the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, invalidated the legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims. Beijing, which refused to participate in the arbitration, has rejected the verdict and continues to act contrary to its findings.