Thread by @aei_official

We'll be starting the final session soon on Emerging constructs – Indo-Pacific with Professor Emeritus S.D. Muni, Dr. Paul Gillespie, Professor Yanyan Mochamad Yani and YM Raja Dato’ Nushirwan Zainal Abidin. #EuropeInTheNewAsia

One of our speakers, Dr. Paul Gillespie, recently published an article on Europe and the Indo-Pacific. www2.nst.com.my/opinion/column…

Prof Muni: Indo pacific is a geopolitical concept; doomed to be dumped when objectives are achieved. #EuropeInTheNewAsia

Indo-Pacific is an old concept for India. It has recognised that the Indian and Pacific Civilisation has had a tremendous energy. But currently, there are several streams of the concept developed by US, Japan, Australia, India and the EU. #EuropeInTheNewAsia

China and Russia also have their own version of what Indo-Pacific means to them. but all have a broad consensus:
Inclusive, open and free, rules-based, peaceful dispute resolution, good governance, democracy and connectivity. Countries use them with different nuances.

The major difference is the inclusion of china (US definition). This is a concept to contain China and to divide the region. On the ground, the countries competing and is preparing militarily but rhetorically, they are moderate. #EuropeInTheNewAsia

Economically, countries want to continue engage with China but strategically they feel the pressure. There is conflict between the strategic interest and economic interest. To what extent India wants to play the game of Indo-pacific? There is a policy dilemma #EuropeInTheNewAsia

Second Presenter, Dr. Paul Gillespie - In Europe, there is a variety of use of the term Indo-Pacific.

In Europe, there is an understanding that the concept is emerged out of the Belt and Road Initiative. If you look at the map of BRI, the end is Europe.

The scale of BRI is massive: The Chinese in three years use more cements than the US did in the entire of 20th century. I hope Europeans understand the extraordinary scale of this, it’s historic. #EuropeInTheNewAsia

Europe is a huge investor in this region (Asia), but the profile of Europe is more economic and development, less strategic. European policies on connectivity developed last year, emphasized many things including people-to-people aspects, digital connectivity, among others.

The ranges of the policy on Asia from Europe will be in favour of resisting the idea of a binary choice. EU policies in general is based on consensus and inter-governmentalism. #EuropeInTheNewAsia

Additionally, the same spirit of wanting to bargain rather than balance China is present in Europe as well. #EuropeInTheNewAsia

But internally, there is a normative response, power-balancing aspect and then there is a de facto orientation of the individual states. #EuropeInTheNewAsia