Europe’s Indo-Pacific Strategy: Moving Beyond US-China Rivalry and Refocusing on Asia

In August 2021, the first report of the Indo-Pacific Strategies Project was published, written by Matt Ferchen. It discusses the growing interest of the European Union in the Indo-Pacific, and what this new focus might mean for its China policies. What are the core objectives of the European Indo-Pacific strategy and how do they compare to the policies of other countries?

Shortly  after the publication of this report, the EU published its “Strategy of for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific”, which set out the bloc’s priorities for engagement with the Indo-Pacific. In the same week a security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and United States was announced, dubbed AUKUS. This announcement undermined a previous agreement between Australia and France, and called into question with whom the EU might cooperate in the Indo-Pacific.

All these developments asked for a new report on where the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy was heading. However, there were two events that overshadowed this discussion: The French presidential elections in April 2022, and more importantly, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This report therefore takes a broader view, examining the implications of the dramatic events surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine for Europe’s approach to the Indo-Pacific.

Q&A about the report with Matt Ferchen