NOTE: Episode 92 is a follow-up of episode 91, so I kindly request you to first listen to episode 91 to connect with our discussion in episode 92.
In this episode, we explore Europe’s evolving strategic ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region, focusing on its geopolitical and economic interests. As global power shifts increasingly towards Asia, the European Union and key member states are developing policies to enhance their presence and influence. We’ll dive into the challenges Europe faces, including balancing relations with China, ensuring maritime security, and fostering partnerships with regional players like Japan and India. Join us as we analyze the strategic goals, the realities on the ground, and the potential long-term impact of Europe’s Indo-Pacific engagement. Watch the full episode below:
Questions covered in the podcast:
- What impact does Europe’s approach in the Indo-Pacific have on its relationships with ASEAN countries?
- How does Europe balance its Indo-Pacific ambitions with its ties to China, especially considering economic dependencies?
- How do considerations regarding the transatlantic relationship influence European approaches to the Indo-Pacific?
- What role does digital and technological cooperation play in Europe’s Indo-Pacific engagement?
- What are the long-term prospects for Europe’s strategic presence in the Indo-Pacific, and how might they evolve?
- Now that we have covered the topic in-depth, let’s turn to work in the international relations domain. Which message or advice would you give to researchers, students, and experts?
About the guest speaker:
Gesine Weber is a fellow on GMF’s Geostrategy team, where she works on European security and defense issues. Based in Paris, she focuses on EU defense initiatives, security and defense policy of the E3 (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom), and Europe’s role in the global order.
During a 2024 fellowship at the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute for War and Peace Studies at Columbia University, Weber led a research project on European balancing in the Indo-Pacific in the context of US-China competition.
Prior to joining GMF, she worked as a defense policy adviser at the German parliament and as a consultant for the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation in Shanghai. Weber is pursuing a PhD in defense studies at King’s College London, where she is part of the European Foreign Policy Research Group and contributes to the work of the Centre for Grand Strategy. She is an associate researcher for the European Council on Foreign Relations and a nonresident Hans J. Morgenthau Fellow at the Notre Dame Center for International Security.
Weber holds a master’s degree in European affairs from Sciences Po in Paris and another master’s degree in political science from the Freie Universität Berlin. She studied Mandarin at the Beijing Foreign Studies University. Her writing and commentary appears regularly in English, French, and German in European and other international media, including the BBC, the Neue Züercher Zeitung, Politico, and France 24.
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