Transregional Commitments to the Indo-Pacific

Forum Staff

With deepening power competition, population shifts and growing economies in the Indo-Pacific, global stakeholders are refining, and in many cases expanding, their strategic investments and presence in the region. Many now count a Free and Open Indo-Pacific as vital to their own geopolitical and economic success. 

“The vast majority of countries throughout the region have rallied around the desire for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific that recognizes our common values of peace, security, stability, prosperity, good governance, enabled by adherence to the rules-based international order,” then-U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander Adm. John Aquilino said during his October 2021 address at the Pacific Future Forum aboard the United Kingdom’s next-generation aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales. “This is defining the security landscape in the 21st century.” 

The region is home to more than half the world’s population, nearly two-thirds of the global economy and seven of the world’s largest militaries. 

“In the 20th century, the Indo-Pacific has emerged as one of the pivotal theaters of interstate contestation and competition, yet also of cooperation,” according to a February 2022 report published by the India-based Observer Research Foundation. “Global powers are increasingly recognizing the political and economic significance of the Indo-Pacific region in catering to the present and future needs of the states in the region and beyond.”

What follows is a sample of stakeholder views of the region and outcomes that the nations hope to achieve with their Indo-Pacific strategies.

CANADA

Canada predicts that the Indo-Pacific will play a critical role in shaping its future over the next 50 years. The region represents significant opportunities for growing Canada’s economy. Already it is home to six of Ottawa’s top 13 trading partners, India, Japan, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.

“Canada is a Pacific country,” the government declared in outlining its Indo-Pacific Strategy. The nation has 25,000 kilometers of Pacific coastline that supports “robust trading relationships with economies across the region, deep people-to-people ties and a rich history of cultural exchange.”

Half of Canada’s immigrants come from the Indo-Pacific, and almost 20% of Canadians have family ties to the region.

Along with the rise of the Indo-Pacific, “the profound impacts the region will have on the lives of all Canadians demand a comprehensive, whole-of-society strategy to guide Canada’s actions,” according to the nation’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. “Canada must invest resources and build knowledge and capacity to engage. How Canada engages in the region will set the pace for the future.” 

In seizing opportunities to benefit its citizens, Ottawa says it will pay particular attention to Australia, the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Blue Pacific nations, India, Japan, the PRC, South Korea and New Zealand. 

“Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy has implications for all Canadians,” the document states. It leverages efforts of nongovernmental organizations, nonprofit groups, the private sector, universities and colleges, Indigenous people and Canadian workers. “Canada will support their commitment and effort,” according to the strategy. “It aims to position Canadians for success through engagement with this dynamic, rapidly growing part of the world.”

The strategy outlines five objectives:

Promote peace, resilience and security by investing in an enhanced military presence as well as intelligence and cybersecurity. 

Expand trade, investment and supply chain resilience to build a stronger domestic economy while strengthening economic ties across the Indo-Pacific.

Invest in people by expanding education exchanges and the nation’s visa-processing capacity to empower Canadian organizations and experts to increase regional engagement. 

Build a sustainable future through sharing expertise in clean technology, oceans management, energy transition and climate finance, and working collaboratively to reduce emissions and biodiversity loss. 

Expand partnerships that reinforce Canada’s influence among Allies and Partners, offering more diplomatic, economic, military, and technical cooperation.

“Canada has strong relationships with partners and friends in the Indo-Pacific,” the strategy said. “We must build on this foundation by deepening our existing friendships and seeking new partners. We must show the world the very best of what Canada has to offer, diversify our diplomatic networks and be a strong force for positive change.”

FRANCE

France launched its Indo-Pacific Strategy in 2018 to articulate its role as an Indo-Pacific nation with seven overseas departments, regions and communities in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific. 

More than 1.6 million French citizens live in the nation’s Indo-Pacific territories. Three-quarters of its exclusive economic zone is in the Indo-Pacific, and more than 7,000 French Armed Forces personnel are stationed  in the region.

“As a fully-fledged Indo-Pacific country, France also wants to be a stabilizing force, promoting the values of freedom and rule of law,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a February 2022 report updating the Indo-Pacific Strategy. “We aim to provide solutions to the security, economic, health, climate and environmental challenges facing countries in the zone.” 

The strategy aims to maintain a region free from coercion and based on the rule of international law and multilateralism, according to the French government. France’s priorities include security and military issues, freedom of navigation, connectivity, economic and commercial issues, and environmental matters. 

France has forged long-standing partnerships with India and Japan on maritime safety, security, marine resource management and the environment. In Southeast Asia, France has fostered relationships with Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam and has made significant strides in working with Malaysia, New Zealand and South Korea.

Like other stakeholders, France notes that its strategy is not aimed at any country. However, “it naturally takes into account the issues raised by China’s growing assertiveness, including in the military dimension,” the French government said.

France and the European Union have a shared approach to the PRC, based on three points.

“China is a major partner for France with which we need to cooperate on global issues such as climate change and health,” according to the French government. “It is also an economic and commercial competitor, and we are working to rebalance our relationship, underlining our commitment to the rule of law. Lastly, China is also a ‘systemic rival,’ as it has a vision of the international order and a model that are profoundly different, particularly as regards human rights.”

France’s approach is to offer Indo-Pacific actors a path to strategic competition that complies with international law and guarantees freedom of navigation, including in the military sphere, and does not stoke tensions.

“Our partnerships with countries in the region have reached unprecedented levels of cooperation. But much remains to be done,” Macron said. “You can count on France’s full commitment. We will continue to play a full role in contributing to the stability of this new strategic space, which is at the core of major global challenges.”

GERMANY

As a global trading nation, Germany has a vested interest in a stable, prosperous, and Free and Open Indo-Pacific. 

“The core principles of Germany’s Indo-Pacific policy are the strengthening of European action, of multilateralism, of a rules-based international order and of human rights, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” according to a September 2023 German Foreign Office report. “The policy guidelines constitute an invitation to all of the region’s countries to expand and deepen their cooperation with Germany. It is in this spirit of inclusivity that Germany sees a role for itself in the Indo-Pacific; at the same time, it is keen to ensure that no countries are shut out.”

In a September 2023 report, the German government outlined its progress in the region over the prior year, noting that German officials and cabinet ministers visited 11 partners, some more than once, including Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, the PRC, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. 

Germany also enhanced its relationships with Blue Pacific nations, opening an embassy in Suva, Fiji, in August 2023. 

Germany outlined other progress in the region, including:

Strengthening multilateralism through intensifying security dialogues with partners including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Germany and ASEAN also agreed to measures to mitigate climate change through 2027 and joined the Partners in the Blue Pacific initiative to coordinate engagement. Other members of the initiative include Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the U.S.

Strengthening peace, security and stability through multinational military exercises and expanding defense policy and cybersecurity cooperation.

Advocating for human rights and the rule of law by supporting projects that provide access to legislative and legal expertise in areas of justice, labor and combating corruption.

Bringing people together through culture, education and science. In 2023, for example, young people from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal and Sri Lanka received scholarships through a cultural exchange program. German scientists have also participated in research expeditions with Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

“Our prosperity and our geopolitical influence in the coming decades will depend on how we work together with the countries of the Indo-Pacific region,” Germany said in a 2020 announcement of its Indo-Pacific strategy. “That, more than anywhere else, is where the shape of the international rules-based order of tomorrow will be decided. We want to help shape that order — so that it is based on rules and international cooperation, not on the law of the strong.”

NATO

NATO is strengthening relations with Indo-Pacific partners, namely Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. 

“In today’s complex security environment, relations with like-minded partners across the globe are increasingly important to address cross-cutting security issues and global challenges,” NATO said in an August 2023 news release. “The Indo-Pacific is important for the alliance, given that developments in that region can directly affect Euro-Atlantic security. Moreover, NATO and its partners in the region share a common goal of working together to strengthen the rules-based international order.”

NATO has also increased cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners, including holding its inaugural meeting with key regional leaders in 2022. 

“The challenges of today are too great for any nation or organization to face alone,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in June 2022. “But by standing together with our partners, we are stronger and safer. We can better protect our people, our values, our way of life.”

In January 2023, NATO launched an initiative to analyze security developments in the Indo-Pacific and their impact on the Euro-Atlantic. The “Futures in the Indo-Pacific” discussions bring together experts from Australia, Belgium, France and Japan for exchanges on security issues affecting both regions.

“Our unity is our strength, and partnerships play an important role in the new international security landscape,” said Carmen Romero, NATO deputy assistant secretary general for public diplomacy. She stressed the need to build stronger relationships with Indo-Pacific countries in keeping with NATO’s Strategic Concept, which underscores the region’s importance for the 31-nation security alliance. The Strategic Concept also notes how developments in the Indo-Pacific can directly affect Euro-Atlantic security. 

“What happens in Europe matters to the Indo-Pacific. And what happens here in Asia matters to NATO,” Stoltenberg said during a January 2023 visit to South Korea to discuss cooperation on counterterrorism, disarmament, cyber defenses and upholding the rules-based international order. “Our security is connected. So, we must remain united and firm, insist on full respect for the U.N. Charter, and ensure oppression and tyranny do not prevail over freedom and democracy.”

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) joined an initiative with France and India in early 2023 to collaborate on defense, technology and energy. 

“The UAE has proved capable of expanding diplomatic and economic ties with virtually all Indo-Pacific actors over the last few years,” according to a February 2023 report by the Med-Or Foundation, a project of the Italy-based aerospace, security and defense company Leonardo. 

“The three sides agreed that the trilateral initiative will serve as a forum to promote the design and execution of cooperation projects in the fields of energy, with a focus on solar and nuclear energy, as well as in the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity, particularly in the Indian Ocean region,” according to the UAE Foreign Affairs Ministry. “For this purpose, the three countries will explore the possibility of working with the Indian Ocean Rim Association to pursue concrete, actionable projects on clean energy, the environment, and biodiversity.”

The countries also intend to strengthen coordination on emerging threats from infectious diseases and  measures to combat pandemics. 

“As countries at the very forefront of technological innovation, the development of trilateral cooperation between relevant academic and research institutions and efforts to promote co-innovation projects, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship will be encouraged,” according to the UAE Foreign Affairs Ministry. “Finally, in recognition of the critical role social and human bonds play in their constructive partnership, France, India, and the UAE will ensure that this trilateral initiative will be leveraged as a platform to promote cultural cooperation through a range of joint projects, including heritage promotion and protection.”

UNITED KINGDOM

The U.K. calls the Indo-Pacific “of crucial importance” to its own prosperity and security. Known as its “tilt” toward the region, the U.K.’s Indo-Pacific strategy focuses on economy, security and values. 

“The Indo-Pacific tilt is here to stay,” then-U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in September 2022, according to news broadcaster CNBC. He noted shared values between the U.K. and the Indo-Pacific, including “our commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity and freedom from economic coercion, and a shared belief in the value of democracy and open markets.” 

The U.K. has trade partnerships in excess of $250 billion in the Indo-Pacific, where 1.7 million British citizens live, Cleverly said. “In the decades to come, it will be the crucible to many of the pressing global challenges that we face — from climate and biodiversity to maritime security and geopolitical competition linked to our rules and norms,” he said. “I want to make it clear that we are committed to making the Indo-Pacific tilt more than just a slogan, make it more than just rhetoric.”

For example, the U.K. secured dialogue partner status with ASEAN and recognizes the group’s centrality to the region and its essential contribution to peace, prosperity and security, Cleverly said. “And we take our responsibilities to support those efforts seriously,” he said. “This includes working with partners to ensure that our initiatives complement, rather than conflict with, the central role of ASEAN.”

Cleverly, appointed in November 2023 as home secretary, outlined areas of progress for the U.K., including working with Indo-Pacific countries to drive growth and prosperity through trade. The U.K. has signed free trade agreements with regional partners to include Australia, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam. It also negotiated a digital economy agreement with Singapore to promote digital trade. “And we are keen to do more,” Cleverly said. “Our focus is on strengthening collaboration in science, technology, research and development — just as we have done here in Singapore.”

The U.K. also intends to foster relationships in the region to accelerate the world’s transition to net-zero carbon emissions.

“The world has become more difficult, but that is no reason to retreat,” according to the U.K. government report “Tilting horizons: the Integrated Review and the Indo-Pacific,” which was published in August 2023. “The dangers we face are not grim inevitabilities but challenges to be addressed together with our allies and other partners. Our foremost priority must be preventing conflict. That requires the creation of space for dialogue — with vocal disagreement. It means cooperation where there is no risk to our security. It means recognizing that strategic competition is a natural part of our global ecosystem. But it also requires the U.K. to be able to set out red lines, from a position of strength, and that is only possible if the U.K. government meaningfully embraces policies of resilience and deterrence.”

Cleverly said the U.K. is working with friends and partners to address challenges but also to seize opportunities. “I am here to make it clear that the Indo-Pacific tilt is here to stay,” Cleverly said. “It is permanent. We have gone from strategy to delivery. From economic theory to signing trade deals. From security discussions to deploying our [aircraft] carrier strike group. From talking about our values to standing together in the face of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s invasions [in Ukraine].” 

UNITED STATES

Since releasing its latest Indo-Pacific strategy in February 2022, the U.S., an Indo-Pacific nation with historic ties to the region, has taken strides to advance a common vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific that is connected, prosperous, secure and resilient. 

“Today, Indo-Pacific nations are helping to define the very nature of the international order, and U.S. Allies and Partners around the world have a stake in its outcomes,” the strategy states. “Our approach, therefore, draws from and aligns with those of our closest friends. Like Japan, we believe that a successful Indo-Pacific vision must advance freedom and openness and offer ‘autonomy and options.’”

The U.S. continues to work with Allies and Partners to build connections that strengthen the regional architecture, and has bolstered regional security by enhancing its network of security alliances and increasing joint military exercises.

“We will focus on every corner of the region, from Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia to South Asia and Oceania, including the Pacific Islands,” the strategy states. “We do so at a time when many of our Allies and Partners, including in Europe, are increasingly turning their own attention to the region. In a quickly changing strategic landscape, we recognize that American interests can only be advanced if we firmly anchor the United States in the Indo-Pacific and strengthen the region itself, alongside our closest Allies and Partners.”