U.S. and German Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific

Please join CSIS for a conversation with Petra Sigmund, Director General for the Asia Pacific at the German Federal Foreign Office. The war in Ukraine ushered in a new era not just for transatlantic relations but for European foreign and security policy. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s announcement of a Zeitenwende (new era) for Germany with a dramatic increase in defense spending has implications not only for Russia and European security but also for the Indo-Pacific. How will a new German foreign policy impact the Indo-Pacific? What does this mean for Europe’s approach to China and Asia?

Heightened security, economic, and political challenges in the Indo-Pacific have led to increased attention to the region by the United States and its transatlantic allies, as evidenced by the recent Indo-Pacific strategies of the United States, Germany, and the European Union, as well as some increased military activity in the region. This conversation is an opportunity to discuss how the U.S. and European allies should best align their approaches, through the lenses of both military and geo-economic competition. What are the areas of convergence and divergence in U.S. and German views of the region, and in which areas should they focus their cooperation? What is Germany’s (and Europe’s) greatest comparative advantage in the region? What will security in the Indo-Pacific look like in ten years’ time?

This event is made possible by generous support from the German Mission in the United States.