Maximilian Reinold

Maritime security cooperation, ocean governance, the Indo-Pacific region, and security networks 🕸️

[Narendra Modi @narendramodi]

Thank you Chancellor Merz for your warm words.

We remain fully committed to further strengthening the India-Germany strategic partnership and deepening cooperation across key areas for the benefit of our peoples.

@bundeskanzler

[Collin Koh 🇸🇬🇺🇦 @CollinSLKoh]

Notably, in this latest joint statement just released after his meeting in Tokyo, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim welcomes Japan's relaxation of postwar curbs on arms transfers. And he isn't the only ASEAN statesman to do so, despite Beijing's narrative. https://t.co/GVBeI03elc

[Olivier Schmitt @Olivier1Schmitt]

On en déduit donc qu'absolument personne ne sera surpris quand:
- l'État allemand va s'imposer dans KNDS,
- les Européens choisiront pour le successeur du F-35 tout sauf le Rafale (même modernisé) qui sera largement dépassé et ne correspondra pas à leurs besoins
- le format de l'armée de l'air sera encore réduit car on ne peut pas se payer de successeur au Rafale
- notre grande démonstration de souveraineté sera d'aller supplier l'Inde ou les EAU de bien vouloir nous acheter des Rafale F5 pour maintenir les lignes de production ouvertes.
Une fois de plus, Dassault a réussi à faire passer ses intérêts pour les intérêts du pays, bravo à eux.

[Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴‍☠️ @mercoglianos]

Latest shipbuilding numbers are out from BRS and they are not good.

China had gone from 51% in 2022 to 70.9% in 2025.

That is from 2,107 ships to 4,055.

[Philippine Navy @Philippine_Navy]

EXERCISE BALIKATAN 41-2026 | The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States Armed Forces officially opened the 41st iteration of Exercise Balikatan in a ceremony held on April 20, 2026.

Philippine Navy: Addressing Challenges, Promoting Regional Stability, and Maritime Security

#ProtectingtheSeasSecuringOurFuture
#ModernMultiDomainSelfReliantCrediblePartner
#OneAFPOnePhilippines
#StrongAFPStrongPhilippines
#MatatagNaSandigan
#AFP90

[Maximilian Reinold @MaxouReinold]

https://t.co/9nH6lDNlgx

"Tokyo has extended an offer to New Delhi to jointly manufacture its cutting-edge Mogami-class stealth frigates at Indian shipbuilding facilities."
If true, that's a huge development!

[Robert A. Pape @ProfessorPape]

Everyone should see this: since “ceasefire” over 75 US logistics flights into the Gulf. Notice how much depends on Europe’s bases. Shows US preparing for more escalation and its global power would decline markedly without Europe.

[Naval News @navalnewscom]

Japan will join the largest military exercises hosted by the Philippines and the United States for the first time as an active participant, deploying around 1,400 combat troops and introducing its Type 88 surface-to-ship missile system along with an array of weaponry as part of the drills, signaling deepening cooperation among allies seeking to uphold stability in the region 🇯🇵🇵🇭
By @Frances_Mng
https://t.co/7UjpM7u87h

[Eric 𝕏 @WorldStrategist]

Singapore’s Foreign Minister on why he cannot accept negotiating with Iran for safe passage of ships. Definitely worth listening to:

[Bruno Tertrais @BrunoTertrais]

A short thread on Macron's deterrence speech:
(1/9) The speech delivered today at Île Longue is *the most significant update to French nuclear deterrence policy in thirty years*. In my view, it represents a major step forward, with two important turning points and three omissions.

[Emmanuel Macron @EmmanuelMacron]

A major blow to the shadow fleet: in the North Sea, our French Navy helicopters helped last night in the boarding by Belgian forces of an oil tanker under international sanctions.

Europeans are determined to cut off the sources of funding for Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine by enforcing sanctions.

[Sicherheit & Verteidigung @suvreport]

Zum Indo-Pacific Deployment 2026 verlegt die Bundeswehr einen Seefernaufklärer vom Typ P-8A Poseidon nach Indien – der erste Einsatz dieses Flugzeugtyps in der Region.
https://t.co/XiDviJmD2l

[Niklas 🦦 @NiklasWenzel_]

Liebe für @BriHasselmann.
Bezüglich der Ukraine sind die Grünen einfach stabil!

[Maximilian Reinold @MaxouReinold]

Happy to have contributed to this edited volume. My chapter examines Germany’s approach to the South China Sea by analyzing naval deployments, exercises, arms transfers, official discourse, and the growing defense cooperation with regional middle powers. @APLNofficial

[Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @APLNofficial]

NEW REPORT 📢 How do middle powers from Asia and Europe assess escalation risks in the South China Sea?
This is the first volume that brings together experts from 🇰🇷🇯🇵🇫🇷🇩🇪🇬🇧🇵🇭 to examine their approaches to this critical maritime flashpoint.
Read here ➡️ https://t.co/DrsKXsQOHd

[Michael Kovrig @MichaelKovrig]

🤯 "China quietly mobilized thousands of fishing boats twice in recent weeks to form massive floating barriers of at least 200 miles long, showing a new level of coordination that could give Beijing more ways to impose control in contested seas. The two recent operations unfolded largely unnoticed. An analysis of ship-tracking data by @nytimes reveals the scale and complexity of the maneuvers for the first time."

[Ryan Evans @EvansRyan202]

Really smart article by Trent Hone on why we don't have battleships anymore, complete with this nifty infographic

[Brent D. Sadler @brentdsadler]

Pentagon’s 2025 China Report - missing much…

As most folks were headed out for the holidays, the Pentagon released a December 23rd tardy annual report on China. Despite this, much of the events in 2025 involving China were not to be found in the report, such as:

1. No mention of the April 2025 Strait Thunder Chinese military drills around Taiwan - Justice Mission occurred in late December and can be excused for not being discussed in the report.

2. No mention of March 2025 Chinese naval activities in the waters around Australia and live fire weapons drills that interfered with commercial air traffic.

3. No mention of Chinese survey vessels operating in Alaskan waters in August/September 2025 - ostensibly without required permissions and intercepted/monitored by U.S. forces.

4. In the lead up up the September 2025 UN General Assembly, reports of discovery of massive cell phone “SIM farms” nearby, apparently intended to influence and shape public perceptions - to be clear little has been reported on the actors behind that incident and their intents.

As an aside, the report appears to continue an under-estimate of China’s defense/military spending by at least 200% - should China spend as much as a fraction of GDP (by the way not a great assumption as it is likely much higher when appropriately considering Marxist valuation of labor and China’s controlled economy): If China spent the same %3.4 GDP the U.S. did in 2024 on defense, if would have spent $646 billion (assuming a 3x PPP China’s effective defense spending approaches $2 trillion).

The report does provide insights in events from 2024 that should have dealt with more fully in the previous report to be clear. Especially, some of the espionage incidents of Chinese in the U.S., but too little attention given to events that occurred in 2025.

That said, this report does not change the assessment that has been consistent for at least the last 5 years, that China has been building aggressively to challenge the fate of Taiwan this decade. Perhaps an update can be provided to more fully address the events of 2025, and better inform Congress of the dangers we face.

See the report here: https://t.co/MeM1LIOtgY

[Raffy Tima @raffytima]

My view of the collision at sea of China Coast Guard 3104 and PLA Navy 164 in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc in Zambales, Philippines.
Before this, the Chinese navy and coast guard ships nearly collided twice trying to outmaneuver BRP Suluan of the Philippine Coast Guard.

[China Daily @ChinaDaily]

The sanctions prohibit Tolentino from entering the Chinese mainland or the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, the Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement. https://t.co/7d3dj4feBv

[Pham Quang Vinh @vinhlhq2015]

Singapore and Vietnam upgraded ties to the highest tier of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking the first of its kind between the city-state and an Asean member state. https://t.co/2Y7SVgHwb1