L’analisi di Stefania Benaglia, Fanny Sauvignon, Rosanna Fanni per CEPS: Cold, hard geopolitics is back with a vengeance and the EU has decided it will not be sidelined. The war in Ukraine is cementing this growing geopolitical role but if it is to realise its full potential, the EU must refocus on the strategically vital Indo-Pacific region. To do this, connectivity is its most promising foreign policy tool, as it fully leverages the bloc’s phenomenal economic power. In the crowded Indo-Pacific, the EU must also reinforce multilateral coordination with its main partners, with Japan at the forefront. A strong EU-Japan partnership can be the driving force to both uphold and modernise the liberal international order in the Indo-Pacific. Together, Japan and the EU can promote the global digital transition based on democratic principles. Digitalisation provides the fundamental infrastructure to unlock innovation, growth and development in key global challenges beyond the digital sector, from the green transition to improved public services. It is therefore crucial that digital interoperability in the Indo-Pacific be (re)founded on freedom, openness, and a human-centric design.
Why Japan could be the key to the EU’s Indo-Pacific ambitions – CEPS
