German warship Bayern first in almost two decades to enter South China Sea

The German navy frigate Bayern docked at the International Cruise Terminal in Tokyo, on Nov. 9, 2021. - AP

BERLIN (Reuters): A German warship sailed into the South China Sea on Wednesday (Dec 15) for the first time in almost 20 years, a move that sees Berlin joining other Western nations in expanding its military presence in the region amid growing alarm over China's territorial ambitions.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its own, despite an international tribunal ruling that Beijing has no legal basis for these claims, and has built military outposts on artificial islands in the waters that contain gas fields and rich fishing.