Germany is sending 13 military aircraft to joint exercises in Australia, the air force's largest peacetime deployment, underlining Berlin's increased focus on the Indo-Pacific amid rising tensions with China in the region.
Last year, a German warship sailed into the South China Sea for the first time in almost 20 years, a move that saw Berlin joining other Western nations in expanding its military presence in the region amid growing alarm over Beijing's territorial ambitions.
Tensions have also risen over Taiwan since China - which claims Taiwan as its own territory - kicked off military drills around the democratically governed island after U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei at the start of August.
