Germany launches Indo-Pacific strategy

NEW DELHI: Germany, current EU president and Europe’s biggest economy, has launched its Indo-Pacific strategy in which India is expected to play a key role in Berlin’s outreach in the region, where China’s aggressive foreign policy has rattled other countries.The strategy released on Wednesday by German foreign ministry has several indirect references to Chinese behaviour that has challenged rules-based world order. Berlin’s strategy also suggested opening dialogue with institutions where India plays a key role — Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation and Indian Ocean Rim Association — in the areas of business and maritime safety, as well as disaster-risk management.The German government also announced that it will work to maintain rules-based order together with partners in the Indo-Pacific region. To this end, it will cooperate with India and Japan for UNSC reforms.“As an internationally active trading nation and proponent of a rules-based international order, Germany — embedded in the European Union — has a great interest in participating in Asia’s growth dynamics and in being involved in shaping the Indo-Pacific region, as well as in upholding global norms in regional structures,” suggested the strategy outlining Germany’s key principle for the region.The strategy also contains veiled but firm criticism of Chinese actions in the South China Sea and its fallout on global trade in what mirrors India’s position on the issue.

from Economic Times https://ift.tt/2QUZzIm
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