Decoding Germany’s Indo-Pacific policy
In the document titled ‘Germany – Europe – Asia: shaping the 21st century together’( 72 pages document)outlined the new role that Germany envisaged for the European union. The country is the European Union (EU) chair and also one of the most prominent economies in Europe. While the Indo-Pacific construct has been propounded by a German geologist Karl Haushofer, and the country’s subscription to the concept has brought the NATO allies (the US, France and Germany) together and also given a new line dimension to the China containment strategy. This change in strategy from Euro-Atlantic to Indo-Pacific from the German perspective has been because of the China's assertive moves in South China Sea, and the resultant US counter measures in this regard.
Outlining the German perspective, the German foreign minister has elucidated that Germany has been sending a clear message that Indo Pacific region is a criterion for Germany’s foreign policy. This clearly means an incremental shift from the Euro Atlantic to the Indo-pacific geo political imagination. With the development in the concept and the moment of which has been gained by Quad 2.0, it was but pertinent for other countries to take note of the development in this context. There have been prepositions with regard to Indo Pacific Economic Corridor (IPEC) and the strengthening of a new infrastructure standard which is known as Blue dot network.
Germany which has been subscribing to the BRI project has acknowledged that the project has new imperialist designs. For that there has been proposals for including peripheral countries under the Quad plus programme and also coordinating which regional powers so as to bring in a global architecture spanning Indian and Pacific oceans, while increasing subscription to the US strategic priorities.
For many European countries the priority is for a rule based regional order and specific guidelines for maintaining freedom of navigation and operations in the Indo-Pacific region. France with the signing of the largest Logistics Pact with India and also developing a new tri lateral structure comprising of New Delhi, Paris and Canberra, fills the strategic gap in the Indian Ocean region. Britain which had refused itself from any operation to the East of Suez is finding a new role under the stewardship of US while at the same time gives it the requisite strategic mass to develop the Five Power Defence Agreement (FPDA). FPDA comprises on two southeast Asian countries(Singapore and Malaysia) and two Oceania countries(Australia and New Zeeland ) with the UK as the European power as the binding force.
France has also expressed its desire to be a part of the larger Quad 2.0 initiative because of its dominance and territories spread across the Indo Pacific region. In that context a better understanding and developing a cohesive strategy with Indian ocean powers wood help in security and protection of maritime resources which is now increasing living scavengers by China.
Germany along with France under the alliance for multilateralism. Under its Indo-Pacific strategy has suggested that European Commission should negotiate free trade agreements with the South East Asia nations and also with ASEAN as a composite measure. In his forwarding remarks the German foreign minister has clearly outline that their Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) along with NATO, should take cognizance of the new developments in the Indo-Pacific region, and should undertake initiatives including structure and participation in ASEAN led approaches.
The German Indo-Pacific strategy definition of the geographical expanse of Indo-Pacific comprises of both Indian and the Pacific Ocean which is similar to what India and Japan has been proposing. This preposition made under this Indo-Pacific strategy clearly outlines the importance of Asia and how the geopolitical balance is increasingly shifting towards this new geo- political imagination.
For Germany, Indo-Pacific region is gaining important as Germany’s 20 per cent of total trade is now with the Indo-Pacific region. European Union is also active member of the ASEAN Regional Forum. Under the Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM) there has been increasing number of countries form Indo-Pacific which are represented in this forum. While the forum addresses, political, socio-cultural and economic issues but it ahs not enlisted security as a major component. The next biennial summit meeting of ASEM is scheduled to be held in Phnom Penh , Cambodia on 16-17 November 2020.The EU and ASEAN Secretariat are the members and therefore Germany’s new Indo-Pacific policy would have an impact on the dialogue process and also agenda.
Apart from these structural issues Germany’s adoption of the policy also has three intrinsic objectives which includes bringing consensus on the issues of climate change specifically when most of the island countries in the region as well as coastal cities would be affected. Secondly, to formalise the strategic partnership between EU and ASEAN which would bring two successful regional organisations together and lastly, to work on a code of conduct in South China Sea to bring about peace and therefore support maritime trade and commercial activities. The developments in SCS has been major concern for the EU members of NATO and the increasing tensions between US and China. The policy outline has bene also influenced by ASEAN’s outlook towards Indo-Pacific where inclusivity and peace was enshrined in the statement. Germany also buttressed the same idea while acknowledging that the Indo-Pacific region has a youthful , literate population which can be instrumental in driving global growth for decades.
Image Courtesy: Ansgar Sheffold at unsplash.com
(The views expressed are personal.)
Senior Research Fellow at Centre for Security & Strategic Studies.
