The EU’s role in the Indo-Pacific

Context: Indo-Pacific region has acquired striking salience with the U.S.-China strategic contestation becoming sharper than before.

EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific

• New perspective to relations – EU and Indo-Pacific as “natural partner regions”: New strategy aims to enhance the EU’s engagement across a wide spectrum ranging from the
  • Imperative to defend the “rules-based international order”. 
  • Promote a level-playing field for trade and investment, Sustainable Development Goals and multilateral cooperation.
  • Support “truly inclusive policy-making” encompassing the civil society and the private sector.
  • Protect human rights and democracy.
• Focus on security and development dimensions in Indo-Pacific region: Policy conclusion by EU focus on strengthening sustainable and inclusive prosperity, green transition, ocean governance, digital governance and partnerships, connectivity, security and defence, and human security.
• Economic consolidation to cope  with the rise of China and other Asian economies through 
  • Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership & Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Limitation of EU’S engagement in Indo-Pacific

• Limited security and defence capabilities of EU compared to the U.S. and China.
• Internal divisions among EU members: Many states view China as a great economic opportunity, but others are conscious of the China challenge like China’s dominance in Asia or bipolarity leading to a new Cold War.
• Various risks faced by EU ranging from traditional threat like Russia to China and climate change.
• Lack of internally coordinated approach that was witnessed during coordinating with Quad and AUKUS.
  • EU was comfortable to cooperate with the Quad in Indo-Pacific. However, AUKUS muddied the waters, especially for France

Way forward: EU can create a vantage position for itself in Indo-Pacific by being more candid with itself, more assertive with China, and more cooperative with India

• Create balance in favour of economic link: By giving adequate space and support to France strategic coordination with the U.K which has sizeable assets and linkages in Indo-Pacific.
• Implementation of western alliance system: To bolster naval and technological facilities to deal with China.
• Closer India-EU partnership: Through various steps like 
  • Early conclusion of an ambitious and comprehensive trade agreement and a standalone investment protection agreement.
  • Cooperation in Industry 4.0 technologies.
  • Consolidating and upgrading defence ties with France, Germany and the U.K. 
• EU must increase its readiness to share its financial resources and new technologies with partners in
  • Trade negotiations with Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand;
  • Concluding discussions for an economic partnership agreement with the East African Community.
  • Forging fisheries agreements and green alliances with interested partners to fight climate change.

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