German Foreign Minister Says China’s ‘Assertiveness’ Threatens European Interests

German Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul delivers a speech titled “Germany’s Foreign Policy Outlook on the Indo-Pacific: Positioning Germany and Indonesia in a Changing World Order” during a Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) event in Jakarta on August 20, 2025. (Photo by BAY ISMOYO / AFP)

China’s assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea and tensions in the Taiwan Strait threaten international security and European interests, Germany’s foreign minister said on Wednesday.

“What happens here in the Indo-Pacific has a direct impact on European security and vice versa,” Johann Wadephul said in a speech in Jakarta, using an alternative description for the Asia-Pacific region.

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