Context: Recently, Germany, current EU president and Europe's biggest economy, has launched its Indo-Pacific strategy with India that is expected to play a key role in Berlin’s outreach in the region where China’s aggressive foreign policy has rattled countries.
Why is Germany launching the strategy?

• Around 90 per cent of the world foreign trade is conducted by sea and a large part via Indian and Pacific Oceans.
• 25 per cent of world maritime trade passes through Strait of Malacca.
• More than 2,000 ships daily transport goods between South China Sea and Indian Ocean. Disruption in these maritime routes will affect the supply chins to and from Europe.
• Millions of jobs in Germany depend on these trade and investment relations. Therefore, it is important for Germany to focus on the security of these maritime routes.

Importance of Indo-Pacific Strategy of Germany

• It is expected to play a key role in Berlin’s outreach in the region where China’s aggressive foreign policy has rattled countries.
• It suggested an opening of dialogue with institutions where India plays a key role such as BIMSTEC and SAARC, in the areas of business and maritime safety, as well as disaster risk management.
• The strategy will work to maintain rules-based order together with partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
• It is proposed to promote the enforcement of rules and norms of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as a comprehensive maritime regulatory and cooperation framework.
• The Indo-Pacific guidelines foreground maritime security cooperation, human rights, and the diversification of Germany’s economic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.

Role of Germany in Indo-Pacific

• It is an internationally active trading nation and proponent of a rules-based international order.
• It has a great interest in participating in Asia’s growth dynamics and in being involved in shaping the Indo-Pacific region.
• It supports a substantive and legally binding Code of Conduct between China and the ASEAN members States for the South China Sea (SCS) region.

Why is it important for India to gain international support on Indo-Pacific?

• According to US Annual Defence Report, People’s Republic of China has the biggest Naval Force globally. It has more than 350 ships and submarines. Also, PRCs is looking for opportunities to expand its foot prints in the IOR.
• India is already expecting the Chinese to make similar moves in the Indo-Pacific as that of the recent Ladakh stand off. Such circumstances have already created irritants with the maritime neighbours of China in the South china Sea which is condemned by world leaders.
• Therefore, it is important for India to get international support to counter Chinese moves in the IOR. Germany launches Indo-Pacific Strategy Germany launches Indo-Pacific Strategy