German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier says Europe is increasingly concerned about tensions in the disputed South China Sea. Speaking about the regional situation, he links the issue to the potential risk to freedom of navigation in one of the world’s busiest maritime areas. Steinmeier warns that heightened activity and uncertainty in the South China Sea could disrupt international shipping routes, drawing parallels to the Strait of Hormuz, where past tensions have affected navigation. Multiple outlets report that Steinmeier’s comments frame the South China Sea not only as a territorial and regional dispute but also as a matter with broader implications for international trade and maritime access. His remarks emphasize that European concerns focus on maintaining open sea lanes and avoiding scenarios where shipping could become constrained by conflict or coercion at sea. The reporting presents Steinmeier’s position as part of a wider European attention to security developments in the Indo-Pacific.