Berlin’s drift towards the India-Pacific strategy comes as Europe has expressed concerns over China’s track record on human rights and its economic dependence on the Asian country, Nikkei Asian Review reported. The India-Pacific strategy has been endorsed by other countries including India, Japan, Australia and ASEAN members. According to Nikkei Asian Review, China had been Germany’s diplomatic focal point in Asia, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel visiting the country almost yearly. It also must be noted that China also accounts for 50 per cent of Germany’s trade with the India-Pacific region. Germany now plans to work with France regarding EU-wide strategy on India-Pacific.

Source: Hindustan Times September 14, 2020 18:14 UTC