China accuses Germany of contributing to increased tensions in the region after two military vessels passed through the Taiwan Strait.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated on Friday that the two vessels passed through the strait in the direction of the Philippines.
The German side's behavior increases security risks and sends the wrong signals, said a Chinese spokesperson in a statement.
Vessels from, among others, the USA are often seen in the waters around the strait, but it is the first time Germany has moved into the politically sensitive Taiwan Strait.
China has in recent years put democratic Taiwan – which it claims should be part of China – under increasingly harsh military and political pressure.
