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“They’re focused on Europe, the Atlantic, Russia, but not China in the Indo-Pacific,” he said. “This agreement shows that there is a political agreement between the two parties, but it will be difficult to implement.”
Gorana Grgic, a senior researcher at the Swiss-Euro-Atlantic Security Team at the ETH Zurich University Center for Security Studies, said the deal being discussed with Japan is in line with the EU’s strategy.
“The debate over the EU-Japan security agreement is not an isolated incident, but rather a comprehensive strategy rooted in the EU’s broader geopolitical interests and its commitment to fostering a meaningful partnership in the Indo-Pacific region. “It’s part of that,” she said.
Grgic noted that the EU and Japan conducted joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, and the move to expand cooperation demonstrates the two countries’ shared determination to address regional security challenges. said.
He said there was an “alarming shift in security dynamics” in the region, pointing to China’s military modernization and “increasing maritime presence and assertiveness.”
‘Likely to provoke China’: European power strengthens presence in Indo-Pacific
‘Likely to provoke China’: European power strengthens presence in Indo-Pacific
But Frederick Kriem, an EU and Indo-Pacific expert at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said the EU does not have a “meaningful independent security role”.
“The EU has no hard assets at its disposal. They rely entirely on the militaries of individual member states, which are always ultimately under national control.”
The United States is the largest contributor to NATO, and former President Donald Trump, who is set to face Joe Biden again in the November poll, has threatened to attack Russia if America’s NATO allies do not meet their financial obligations. He suggested the idea of encouraging people to do so. organization.
Zhang Baohui, a professor at Lingnan University who specializes in Asia-Pacific issues, said China is likely more concerned about European countries signing security agreements with Japan than about the deal under discussion.
“These will have a far greater impact on China’s security than the Japan-EU security agreement,” he said.
In recent years, Japan has strengthened its security cooperation with Western countries with China, Russia, and North Korea in mind. In addition to its fighter jet program, it is strengthening its defense partnership with the United States and developing new security agreements with the United Kingdom and Australia.
Yoichiro Sato, professor of Asia-Pacific studies at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, said the Japanese government is trying to diversify its security partnerships.
“The presence of European countries in military diplomacy across the broader Indo-Pacific places Japan at the level of a dichotomous force at the international system level that pressures Asian countries, including Japan, to choose sides between the United States and China. “It helps us resist,” Sato said.
“Partnership with Europe will also improve Japan’s bargaining power within the Japan-U.S. alliance,” he added.
“For example, the development of a new fighter jet with the UK and Italy represents a departure for Japan, which has been limited to license production of equipment developed by the US and the US black boxing of sensitive technology during joint development.”
Japan to allow export of fighter jets with ‘strict’ conditions
Japan to allow export of fighter jets with ‘strict’ conditions
China has condemned moves by the United States and its allies to form an “Asia-Pacific NATO” that destroys peace in the region, and is stepping up defense cooperation with Russia in response.
Beijing has also repeatedly called on the EU to reject a “bloc conflict” that could spark a new Cold War.
Lingnan University’s Zhang did not expect the Japan Security Agreement to have a major impact on EU-China relations, as the Chinese government seeks to maximize cooperation with the EU while minimizing conflict. .
Grgic, from the Zurich University of Technology, said dealing with relations with China was a “delicate issue” for the EU, calling it “more active in a wide range of areas in line with the growing geopolitical nature, while leaving room for cooperation”. He said there is a need to “become”.
“This… will continue to be a challenge for the country and for the new EU leadership after the EU elections in June,” she added.
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