Germany will send two warships to the Indo-Pacific in 2024, Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius said Sunday, Reuters reports.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue event in Singapore - the most important security conference in Asia - he said countries must uphold “the rules-based international order” and protect major sea passages.

“To this end, the German Federal Government sent a frigate to the Indo-Pacific in 2021, and will again, in 2024, deploy maritime assets - this time a frigate and a supply ship - to the region,” Pistorius said.

He added this was not directed against any country, though the comments were clearly aimed at China.

“To the contrary: They are dedicated to the protection of the rules-based international order that we all signed up to and which we all should benefit from – be it in the Mediterranean, in the Bay of Bengal or in the South China Sea.”