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Noting that Taiwan's democracy is under threat, a German lawmaker has said that Berlin's Navy ships should pass through Taiwan Strait to underline the significance of freedom of navigation.
Germany's foreign trade is dependent on the sea, and deploying warships symbolizes Germany's determination to defend freedom of navigation, Taiwan News quoted German Parliament Defence Committee Chair Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann during a seminar organised by Friedrich Naumann Foundation, a Liberal Democratic Party think tank, on Tuesday. The seminar focused to discuss the significance and results of the German Navy frigate Bayern's voyage last summer. The Brandenburg-class frigate sailed to Asia in August to conduct joint exercises with Australia, the US, Japan, and other countries as part of Germany's focus on freedom of navigation in the Indian and Pacific oceans. It also helped the UN monitor military developments in North Korea as well as visited Singapore and Vietnam, according to Taiwan News. Zimmermann, during the seminar, shed light on the fact that Bayern had avoided Taiwan after completing its mission in Northeast Asia. The lawmaker underlined that Taiwan's democracy is under threat and said German Navy ships should pass through the strait to highlight the significance of freedom of navigation. She also emphasised that the move would also send a signal to Beijing that the West stands with Taiwan. (ANI)
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