Europe Asia News

Dutch Defence Minister Yeşilgöz Zegerius stated that recent maritime tensions with the Chinese navy will not prevent Europe’s military deployments in the Indo-Pacific region.

Speaking to The Japan Times aboard the Dutch warship HNLMS De Ruyter in Tokyo, Yeşilgöz-Zegerius said: “We are not looking for conflict here, but we will keep coming back.”

It was reported that the Dutch guided-missile frigate HNLMS De Ruyter was subjected to electronic interference by the Chinese navy near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea and later passed through the Taiwan Strait before arriving in Japan.

The minister stressed that the Netherlands will continue regular naval deployments in the region under international law and the principle of freedom of navigation, adding that these operations are not symbolic.

Yeşilgöz-Zegerius also emphasized that European and Indo-Pacific security are becoming increasingly interconnected.