Foreign Minister visits US troops: Wadephul criticizes aggressive actions by China and North Korea

During his trip to Japan, the German Foreign Minister is visiting a major naval base for the Indo-Pacific. The behavior of Pyongyang and Beijing in the region is a thorn in Wadephul's side. China, in particular, is significantly upgrading its military technology.

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul accuses China and North Korea of threatening international stability with aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific. "The following always applies: Borders must not be shifted by force. Neither in Europe, nor in the Indo-Pacific, nor anywhere else in the world," said the CDU politician during a visit to the U.S. 7th Fleet base and a Japanese naval base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo.

Wadephul told reporters that the naval base clearly demonstrates the importance of strong partnerships for peace, security, and stability. The location is of paramount importance for maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. With Japan and the United States as close partners in the G7 group of economically powerful democracies, Germany is concerned about increasing tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

The U.S. 7th Fleet is the largest U.S. naval force permanently stationed outside the United States. More than 26,000 U.S. service members live and work at the Yokosuka base. Its area of operations encompasses 36 countries, and up to 70 warships, including an aircraft carrier and submarines, are permanently stationed there.

Foreign Minister emphasizes UN ban on violence

In the Indo-Pacific, we are confronted with China, which is significantly rearming and wants to make its military a world technological leader through the use of big data and artificial intelligence, Wadephul said. He emphasized to Beijing that there should be no unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. "Because the prohibition of the use of force in the United Nations Charter applies here as well, just as it does in the South and East China Seas." Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning had already warned Wadephul on Monday against "inciting confrontation and escalating tensions."

Like Japan, Indonesia, and other countries in the region, Germany views with great concern the rhetoric and maneuvers that increase tensions, Wadephul continued. This applies particularly to North Korea. Pyongyang is building up nuclear weapons, using aggressive language to threaten, regularly conducting ballistic missile tests in violation of international law, and supporting Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine with its troops. In doing so, North Korea is actively undermining peace in the Indo-Pacific and Europe.

North Korea's activities violate several UN Security Council resolutions, the German Foreign Minister criticized. At the US 7th Fleet base in Yokosuka, Wadephul learned about the work of the multinational coordination group monitoring UN sanctions against North Korea. The German Navy last participated in the monitoring with ships in 2024. Since the beginning of the year, Germany has been represented in the group by a permanent liaison officer. Wadephul said the important work of the coordination group is making it "more difficult and expensive for anyone trying to circumvent the sanctions."