Indo-Pacífico en el nuevo marco geopolítico
On May 11, INCIPE held a digital meeting under the heading of The Indo-Pacific in the new geopolitical framework, in which the renewed importance of the Indo-Pacific region at a global level was the main topic. This gathering involved the participation of Emilio de Miguel Calabia, Ambassador on Special Mission for the Indo-Pacific and director of the Casa Asia Center in Madrid. The encounter was hosted by the Secretary-General of INCIPE and Ambassador of Spain, Manuel Alabart. Following the act, chairman and Director of INCIPE, Vicente Garrido, moderated a question session.
Ambassador Emilio Miguel de Calabia began the presentation introducing the rise of the Indo-Pacific concept. This term was first brought in by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo-Abe, who advocated in 2007 the concept of a free and open Indo-Pacific region; given the disputes surrounding the South China Sea and the East China Sea. This is the reason why Mr. Calabia points out that the response to the emergence of China has provoked the emergence of said concept; as well as the revitalization of the Quad, created in 2008 in order to bring together Australia, the United States, India and Japan.
Part of this emergence took place in 2013, when China presented the Belt and Road map, which presents a new way of recomposing the Indo-Pacific space, even though it is introduced as a mere infrastructure project. This initiative aims to solve the infrastructural deficit that exists in Eurasia, and to establish a looser criteria when it comes to the establishment of credits, among others. Furthermore, they have also developed a new lateral ecosystem, which it is expected to compete with the system created at Bretton Woods, and even replace it in the long run. The creation of the Asian World Bank for infrastructure investment or the Boao Forum are great examples of these measures that seek to match the existing system.
Regarding the Western vision of this initiative performed by China, the Ambassador draws particular attention to the United States and the European Union. On the one hand, the Trump Administration was a tipping point in US-China relations. This turning point gave a renewed importance to the Indo-Pacific as a geographical framework in which the rivalry for global hegemony would be played out. Within this rivalry, Mr. Calabia explains that three scenarios can be found: a US-China cooperative bipolarity, a Cold War atmosphere and the constitution of antagonistic blocs, and a multipolar bipolarity.
On the other hand, the European Union has also set out a strategy in relation to the Indo-Pacific geopolitical framework. As Emilio de Miguel Calabia explains, this strategy seeks to strengthen the role of the EU in the region, more specifically, in the field of security and defense, to establish interdependence between the European Union and the Indo-Pacific, to cooperate against climate change, to insert itself into the regional security architecture and to improve the region’s financing system through the implementation of the Global Gateway funds.
Lastly, the Ambassador points out that the Russian invasion forced a modification within the measures discussed in the Indo-Pacific forum together with all members of the EU. However, he assures that “the invasion of Ukraine is not going to imply the disengagement of the US and the EU from the Indo-Pacific region. On the contrary, Europe and the Indo-Pacific will continue to be closely linked”.
Judit Anidjar
INCIPE
