German magazine Der Spiegel had first reported the planned voyage last week, but German defence officials did not immediately confirm the plans.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday it “welcomes and affirms Germany, along with the US, Canada and the Netherlands, for taking actions to demonstrate the legal status of the Taiwan Strait as international waters, while defending freedom of navigation and maintaining regional peace at the same time”.
A business group in Europe’s largest economy, the Federation of German Industries, welcomed the move.
“German industry is encouraging the federal government to maintain the already eroding rules-based international order as far as possible,” executive board member Wolfgang Niedermark told the Handelsblatt financial daily.
He said rules are only valid if they are enforced consistently, and that “Germany too must take responsibility for this”.
Source: CNA
