China poses challenge to rules-based order in Indo-Pacific: German envoy

Dr. Ackermann stresses need to preserve the international rules-based order

German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann spoke on the expanding European focus on the Indo-Pacific region. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Indo-Pacific may be the area where the biggest challenge we have to face with China materialises, said German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann while stating that Indo-Pacific is growing in importance on the European agenda.

Expanding on the European focus on the Indo-Pacific, he said on March 31, “India will be our preferred partner in this endeavour. India is a very courted country right now. Everybody is coming here…”

In this regard, he said for the first time European Union (EU) is also in the political thinking of India. Referring to the war in Ukraine, the envoy said borders are not safe anymore. In Europe, sovereign states could be invaded, he said and added, “In Indo-Pacific, this kind of aggression can happen.”

Speaking at a seminar on the ‘India and the EU and the transitioning security order in the Indo-Pacific’ organised by the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) in partnership with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Dr. Ackermann said, “What we want in the Indo-Pacific is preserving the international rules-based order.”

Referring to various multilateral and mini-lateral groupings in the region, he said what we are seeing is the seeding of the security framework in response to China.

He further said that their experience is not to put all the eggs in one basket, referring to their dependence on Russia for gas imports which he said have now been reduced to zero. With China the business interests are 100 times more, Mr. Ackermann said while adding, “We cannot fully decouple from China.”

The envoy termed climate change as the next major challenge confronting the region. In the last two years, several European countries have announced Indo-Pacific policies.

Dr. Ackermann also released a report ‘The Transitioning Security Order in the Indo-Pacific: Furthering India-EU & Triangular Collaboration’, jointly authored by Rajeshwari Krishnamurthy, visiting fellow, IPCS and Richard Ghiasy, with Leiden University’s Leiden Asia Centre and supported by FES. The report noted that Indian and EU capabilities to produce a de-escalatory effect on Sino-U.S. contestation are limited and are likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.

“However, the construct provides valuable impetus to the India-EU politico-security partnership and a compelling opportunity to collaboratively temper the ordering process as co-shapers rather than passive participants. The two are uniquely positioned to foster a third way based on cooperative, consultative approaches as an alternative to the U.S.’ more binarily-inclined strategies and China’s opaque security visions. Crucially, both are well-placed to engage proponents and critics,” it stated.