Australia to host German troops for first time ever as Berlin’s focus shifts East amid rising China tensions
- Up to 240 German soldiers will take part in the Talisman Sabre exercise, alongside troops from the US, UK, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and France
- Calling the Cold War ‘easy’, Germany’s army chief said the country now had to look beyond Europe to respond to modern-day security challenges
In recent years, Germany has had a greater military presence in the Asia-Pacific, even as this means walking a tightrope between its security and economic interests.
“It is a region of extremely high importance for us in Germany as well as for the European Union due to the economic interdependencies”, Army Chief Alfons Mais said in an interview published on Monday, hours before the first German troops were to leave for Australia.
Mais said up to 240 German soldiers, among them 170 paratroopers and 40 marines, will take part in the Talisman Sabre exercise from July 22 to August 4, the largest drills between Australia and the US, held biannually.
How failure of ‘Germany’s China City’ reflects EU’s changing view of Beijing
“We aim to demonstrate that we are reliable and capable partners that contribute to stabilising the rules-based order in the region”, Mais said.
When asked what message the first deployment of German troops to Australia was meant to send to China, he underscored Berlin did not aim to antagonise anybody.
“It generally makes sense to get to know the perspective others have upon the world”, said the lieutenant general, adding that the current security challenges were much less clear-cut than before 1990.
“The Cold War was easy, it was a bipolar world. Today, we can no longer focus on Europe only … we have to position ourselves much more broadly,” the army chief underscored.
“Japan is a partner that holds a lot of potential for a deepening of our bilateral military cooperation,” he said. As for Talisman Sabre, the German troops already have orders to return to Australia for the next exercise in 2025.