German warships visit the Philippines amid its South China Sea clashes after angering Beijing by sailing through the Taiwan Strait

Two German warships are visiting the Philippines for the first time in over 20 years after making a notable transit through the Taiwan Strait.

The port call, which Germany said is a reaffirmation of its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and rules-based international order, rhetoric commonly used by the US, as well as a testament to its defense cooperation with the Philippines, is set against the backdrop of flaring tensions between China and the Philippines due to disputes in the South China Sea.