Reading The EU Fine Print

Context: The recently framed Indo-Pacific Strategy of the EU bring various challenges in front of India.

EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy

• Strategy over-determined by China’s expansionism: Expansionist policy of China at regional hotspots may have a direct impact on European security and prosperity.
  • Redefining relations with China: EU, “while pushing back where fundamental disagreements exist with China, such as on human rights”, will also “pursue its multifaceted engagement with China”, encouraging China to play its part in a peaceful and thriving Indo-Pacific region”.
• Multifaceted list of objectives of EU: Including sustainable and inclusive prosperity, green transition, ocean governance, digital governance and partnerships, connectivity, security and defence, human security and values like human rights.

India does not figure prominently in EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy

• Limited role: India appears in the list of nations having already an Indo-Pacific strategy, with which the EU is interested in a deeper “engagement”.
• Economic prioritisation: Indo-Pacific strategy of the EU remains driven by economic considerations and India, whose main asset is geopolitical and even geostrategic, does not figure prominently in it.
  • No mention of India’s role in value-chain diversification: Value-chain diversification is the top priority of the EU since the Covid-19 pandemic in particular, yet potential role of India is sidelined.
  • The only example of diversification pertains to semiconductors with Japan, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan.
• ASEAN is presented as an increasingly important partner for EU, policy focuses on “strategic partnership” between EU and ASEAN.
  • New Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCAs) are announced with Thailand and Malaysia.
• Military and security perspective: Recent military cooperation between Europeans and India is put on par with their cooperation with Pakistan.
  • India is listed as EU’s first partner only in one area: “Under the project Enhancing Security Cooperation in and with Asia (ESIWA), which covers counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, maritime security and crisis management.
  • ASEAN remains the main partner of EU from the military point of view.