NEW DELHI: When Germany announced its policy for the Indo-Pacific in early September, it became the second European nation, France was the first, to join the Indo-Pacific Club. The unveiling of this strategy by Europe’s powerhouse suggests that Germany is moving away from China. Is that really the case? StratNews Global Deputy Editor Parul Chandra spoke exclusively with Walter J. Lindner, Germany’s Ambassador to India.
Lindner insisted that the strategy is not against China, and that his country favours a multipolar world. Germany has close relations with China and that the two are strong trading partners. But Lindner underscored the fact that the two nations have different “political systems”. “We’re a democracy, they’re not, India is a democracy, they’re not,” he noted. He also underlined the fact that through its vision of the Indo-Pacific, Germany is “focusing on those countries with whom we share our values”.
During the interaction, Lindner also indicated that France and Germany will meet in Brussels (EU headquarters) “to see if we can work towards a European strategy” on the Indo-Pacific.
Watch this interview for more:
