Foreign policy
The Indo-Pacific region has become increasingly important. In future, the German government would like to engage more as an active player and partner. The Cabinet has now adopted guidelines for future policy in this region. The aim is also to have a European strategy.
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States like India with its megacity Mumbai, Vietnam and China have seen meteoric growth.
Photo: picture alliance / PantherMedia
In the 21st century, economic and political forces are increasingly shifting towards the Indo-Pacific region. China, Japan and the USA – the world’s three largest economies – are Pacific nations. 20 of the world’s 33 megacities are also to be found in the region, which plays a key role in shaping the international order.
The Cabinet has now adopted guidelines for the Indo-Pacific region. They lay out the interests and principles on which the German government will base its policy in the region. They describe initiatives in the main fields for action and present offers to partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
Basis for an EU strategy
The German government aims to diversity its relations both in geographical and in thematic terms. Relations with the Southeast Asian ASEAN states, Australia and India are to be stepped up, with the conclusion of additional free trade agreements for instance. The guidelines on the Indo-Pacific region can be used as the basis for a future EU strategy.
The guidelines aim to provide a strategic framework for the German government’s numerous political measures in the Indo-Pacific region. They are also to provide entry points for closer cooperation with partners in this region – in the field of security as in other sectors.
There is no generally agreed geographical definition of the Indo-Pacific region. Different players define it differently. The German government uses the term to describe the entire area shaped by the Indian and Pacific Oceans.