For a continental European power traditionally not much involved in Asian affairs, the rise of Germany to the most successful European economic actor in Asia is remarkable. So far, this has been exceedingly profitable for all sides. That includes non-German European companies teaming up with German ones in their Asian endeavours. Economic relations are most advanced with China. Yet, it is also China which today casts a dark shadow over the future of that landscape. The reason is China’s ambition to translate its newly evolving status as a global great power into that of a hegemon able to reset the liberal international order to one that benefits China at the expense of its partners. That attitude has already had a negative economic, political, and societal impact on Germany’s relations with other European countries. It is likely that this will also be increasingly the case in the future. As a way out, Germany hopes to put its policy in the region on a new foundation. Berlin has begun to focus more on other partners in Asia with whom it already enjoys close relations, such as Japan, India, and Korea. In 2020 Germany promulgated a new framework named ‘Policy Guidelines for the Indo-Pacific’. The European Union (EU) is developing a similar new strategic concept for Asia.
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