It won’t be China. German warships usually go kaputt, you know. And the German Navy doesn’t really, well, exist.

Although if the Germans ask the Chinese really nicely…

German warship ‘Bayern’ heads to the Indo-Pacific – The German navy’s frigate “Bayern” set sail on Monday for the Indo-Pacific region, fully loaded with Berlin’s aspirations to play a small role in the geopolitical standoff between China and the West.

The first such deployment in almost 20 years is meant to uphold freedom of navigation in international waters, protect “open societies” and express support for regional partners sharing Germany’s values, Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was quoted as saying in a statement.