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Strategic Vision vol. 11, no. 54 (October, 2022)
Europe Looks East European actors committing to more strategic role in Indo-Pacific region César de Prado
photo: Tom Twardy
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A soldier with a German army light infantry unit. Germany and other European nations seek to enhance their commitment to the Indo-Pacific.
he major European countries such as France, Germany, and the UK are facing an unprecedented challenge in Ukraine, as are the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and other multilateral organizations that deal with security issues affecting Europe. Nevertheless, they remain committed to contributing to security and defense in the Indo-Pacific. At a June, 2022 meeting in Madrid, NATO approved its new Strategic Concept for 2030 which takes a global outlook and makes note of events in the Indo-Pacific. Though it falls short of designating the People’s Republic of China (PRC) an adversary or a threat like Russia, it states that Beijing poses “systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security.” The
Strategic Concept prioritizes enhancing the resilience of NATO allies against China’s “stated ambitions and coercive policies” that challenge their “interests, security and values,” yet NATO remains “open to constructive engagement with the PRC.” In short, NATO remains focused on Euro-Atlantic security, and has not suddenly pivoted onto military competition in the Indo-Pacific, though the latter is an area of increasing concern. NATO is enhancing military cooperation and diplomacy with four Asia-Pacific partners, namely Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. In Madrid, leaders from these four nations met for the first time at the summit level and “agreed to step up political dialogue and practical cooperation in several areas,
Dr. César de Prado is a former MOFA Fellow at the European Union Centre in Taiwan, National Taiwan University. He can be reached for comment at cesar.deprado@eui.eu