China's assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea and tensions in the Taiwan Strait threaten international security and European interests, Germany's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

"What happens here in the Indo-Pacific has a direct impact on European security and vice versa," Johann Wadephul said in a speech in Jakarta, using an alternative description for the Asia-Pacific region.

"China's growing military assertiveness in the South China Sea not only threatens Asia's security but also undermines the international rules-based order," Wadephul said after talks with his Indonesian counterpart.

"With essential trade routes running right through this area, it also constitutes an economic risk."

He said the same applied to frictions in the Taiwan Strait, where China has deployed f

See Full Page