A visit by the frigate “Bavaria” to China planned by the federal government failed because of opposition from Beijing.

"After a certain period of reflection, China decided that it would not want the German frigate" Bavaria "to visit the port and we have taken note of that," said a spokeswoman for the Foreign Office in Berlin on Wednesday.

The frigate set out for the Indo-Pacific from Wilhelmshaven on August 2. The German government announced in April that it would intensify its security policy engagement in Asia and, above all, coordinate more closely with Japan. However, the goals declared by the Ministry of Defense - "a rule-based order, free sea routes, multilateralism" - should be linked with a friendly gesture in the direction of China - the port visit that has now been canceled.

There are a number of territorial conflicts between China and other neighboring countries in the South China Sea. Beijing claims 80 percent of the ocean, which is rich in natural resources and through which important shipping routes run. Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia also make territorial claims. The International Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected China's claims in 2016. Beijing ignores the verdict.