The EU must use its economic power to exert influence in the Pacific region. That’s what strategy analyst Paul van Hooft of The Hague Center for Strategic Studies and political scientist Friso Dubbelboer of the Leiden Asia Center say on the BNR podcast De Strateeg. The EU cannot leave the maintenance of international order in that region to the United States and China “because otherwise it will escalate even faster”.
The role the EU plays in the Pacific is difficult, Van Hooft thinks. While the EU has released its strategy for the region, countries like Germany and the Netherlands have completely different interests than a country like France, which has overseas territories there. And so there must be a military presence there.
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“France still has islands where millions of French citizens live, the interests of the Netherlands, Germany and the EU are widespread.” What is crucial for the EU is to maintain peace, international order and keep sea lanes open – after all, these are the ports of trade with Europe.
Although European countries have almost no military-maritime capabilities, European naval vessels periodically visit the region. But this is pure etiquette and has no deterrent effect, Van Hooft admits: “If we talk about playing a role in China’s deterrence, it’s completely nonsense, because we simply don’t have the maritime capability.”
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Dubbelboer also sees this limited capability as an advantage: It prevents European relations with China from being expressed too much in military terms. “You show that you care about the region and that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea is followed – even by China – on the other hand, it’s okay if you don’t do it too much.” Dubbelboer also points to the historical sensitivities that exist in China regarding European navies. After all, the so-called gunboat policy of the late 19th and early 20th centuries experienced the country as the last humiliation.
According to Dubbelboer, the ASEAN countries would like European involvement, but do not count on Europe “to save them from Chinese supremacy”. ‘They know this isn’t a realistic point and they’re really not eager to do it. I think they are much more interested in diplomatic and legal support and, of course, economic relations.”
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Van Hooft acknowledges that much of what Europe does is interpreted by China as the action of an American vassal. “The decision at the request of the Americans to ensure that ASML no longer exports lithographic scanners to China is also part of this.” That’s why he thinks it’s important that when European naval vessels visit the region, they do so separately from American ones as much as possible.
Van Hooft calls it a difficult balance for Europe: not to oppose the United States, but also to demonstrate that you are not an American lapdog and to demonstrate that you want to provide order and legal frameworks. And even with that military naval review, things are running smoothly: ASEAN countries are not expecting a European military presence, Japan and Australia are again. It is no coincidence that NATO is now also opening an office in Japan.
What is the European interest in continuing to play a role as the EU in this region? According to Van Hooft, the EU can guarantee stability and international order. “If we leave it to the US and China, it will escalate faster. And too few states in the region can curb both.’
Europe not only has great economic interests in the region, it also has great economic power. ‘The EU may not have that many ships, but we have enormous economic power. We actually have much more economic power in the region than we think.’
Listen to the whole conversation in the podcast De Strateeg
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
