German navy chief vows long-term commitment to Indo-Pacific

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — The chief of Germany’s navy says 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. Beginning in mid-November, the warship will monitor activities by North Korean ships for three weeks, including possible ship-to-ship transfers of banned cargoes, under a U.N. Security Council resolution.