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German foreign minister raps China's 'risky maneuvers' in West PH Sea

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Reuters

Germany&#x27;s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock criticized the Chinese coastguard&#x27;s activities in the South China Sea, including its use of lasers and water cannon, during a visit on Thursday (January 11) to the Philippines, saying the actions were causing concern in Europe too.Tension has flared in recent months between China and the Philippines as they traded accusations over several run-ins in the waterway, including charges that China rammed a ship last month carrying the Philippine armed forces chief of staff.China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, pointing to a line on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague said China&#x27;s claims had no legal basis. China has rejected that ruling.Baerbock was in Manila for a two-day official visit, the first by a German foreign minister to the Philippines in more than a decade, as the two nations mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. —Report from Reuters

Germany's foreign minister criticized the Chinese coastguard's activities in the West PH Sea, including its use of lasers and water cannon.