India’s Indo-Pacific strategy strengthens EU and Asean defenses to counter China’s influence

Defense analysts say India is intensifying efforts to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific by strengthening its defense ties with European countries such as Germany while also strengthening its maritime alliances in Southeast Asia.

As New Delhi seeks to resolve long-running border disputes with Beijing, it is simultaneously expanding its strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond with recent high-level visits and naval deployments by European leaders. the country’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz paid a three-day visit to India last week to improve bilateral defense cooperation. During the visit, he emphasized the importance of ensuring freedom of global maritime traffic and called for strengthening military ties.

Scholz later visited a German frigate and a supply ship in Goa, saying their presence contributed to ensuring freedom of global maritime traffic.

C Uday Bhaskar, a former Indian naval officer and director of the Association for Policy Research think tank in Delhi, noted that it has taken a long time for Germany and India to reach this stage of bilateral interaction.

“For decades since German reunification, India has been a relatively low priority for Germany. In his statement to This Week in Asia, Bhaskar stated that Germany reviewed its Asian policy only in recent years, after Russia invaded Ukraine.