The sixth session of The Asia Roundtable was organised on “Europe’s Indo-Pacific Strategies: The China Dilemma” with Nico Luchsinger and Prof. Ummu Salma Bawa. 

The discussion focused on the shifting geopolitical landscape in Europe and its repercussions for Asia. The participants framed the debate around contemporary disruptions in European politics, especially the implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the Indo-Pacific region. Russia’s war in Ukraine had awoken Europe from its long geopolitical slumber. Moscow’s aggression has revitalized Europe’s trans-Atlantic alliance to manage Russian revisionism. Europe’s preoccupation with Ukraine, some participants argued, has reduced possibilities for a major European security role in the Indo-Pacific, at least in the near term. They pointed out that Europe, unlike the US, is yet to finalize a coherent Indo-Pacific strategy. While some countries like the United Kingdom are back in the East of the Suez, others like Germany are yet to “shake off” their economic flirtations with the Chinese. Thus, a strategic disconnect exists within Europe on dealing with the evolving dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region.