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Strategic Vision vol. 10, no. 49 (May, 2021)
Stepping Up
European powers seek a greater role and presence in Indo-Pacific security César de Prado
photo: Royalnavy.mod.uk
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Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force members welcome the British frigate HMS Montrose to Tokyo, Japan.
ajor European countries and multilateral institutions are enhancing their global strategic perspectives to deal with the security issues that Europe faces, primarily through the continent’s main security provider, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). To remain relevant after the Cold War, NATO has made compromises over strong differences between its members, transforming itself into a flexible security management organization that balances deterrence
in Europe and the North Atlantic with out-of-area expeditionary missions and operations. In a December 2019 summit, NATO delegates decided to engage experts to examine ways in which the alliance could address the strategic opportunities and challenges presented by the growing global influence of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). A group of independent experts tasked with elaborating a strategic framework in 2020 argued that NATO should devote much more time, political resources, and ac-
Dr. César de Prado is a MOFA Fellow at the European Union Centre in Taiwan, National Taiwan University. He can be reached for comment at cesar.deprado@eui.eu