Army chief: German warship route via Taiwan would not be provocation

The most senior soldier in the German military has denied that sending a warship through the Taiwan Strait would amount to a provocation of China.

Although the trip by the frigate Baden-Württemberg has not been officially confirmed, it is expected to take place soon after being widely reported in German media.

The inspector general of the Bundeswehr, Carsten Breuer, said during a visit to Seoul that "I don't think we risk provoking China, but rather the other way around. It is precisely this international law that is being called into question by the perception and the issues that China is introducing."

China regards democratically governed Taiwan as a breakaway province, and the waters of the Taiwan Strait as Chinese - rather than international - waters.