BERLIN, March 2 (Reuters) - A German frigate will set sail
for Asia in August and, on its return journey, become the first
German warship to cross the South China Sea since 2002, senior
government officials in Berlin said on Tuesday.
The ship will not pass within what officials called the
"12-nautical-mile", officials in the foreign and defence
ministries added, in a reference to contested areas in the
crowded sea.
China claims almost all the energy-rich waters of the South
China Sea, where it has established military outposts on
artificial islands.
The U.S. Navy regularly conducts "freedom of navigation" in
which their vessels pass close by to some of these islands,
asserting freedom of access to international waterways.
The United States regularly accuses Beijing of militarizing
the South China Sea and trying to intimidate Asian neighbours
who might want to exploit its extensive oil and gas reserves.