German FM Expresses Concern Over South China Sea Tensions

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, during her visit to the Philippines, expressed concern about the rising tensions in the South China Sea.
Baerbock stated that China's aggressive actions violate the rights of Asian coastal states like the Philippines and threaten freedom of navigation.
She emphasized the need for peaceful resolution of territorial disputes, stating that the world doesn't need another crisis.
Baerbock visited the Philippine coast guard headquarters and flew a surveillance drone that Germany donated to the Philippines, in a symbolic gesture of Germany's support.
She cited a 2016 ruling by a United Nations-backed arbitration panel that invalidated China's extensive territorial claims on historical grounds, which China continues to defy.