The third Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum hosted by the European Union was held in Brussels, but it was striking that major powers such as China, the United States and the United Kingdom did not participate. It is understandable that Britain was not invited because it is a European country, but China and the United States, as the main powers in the "Indo-Pacific region", were not invited, which caused people to wonder. What kind of signal does the EU reveal by hosting the Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum without inviting the two major powers, China and the United States?
This problem can be analyzed from both active and passive perspectives.
From a proactive point of view, the reason why the EU did not invite China and the United States to participate in the Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum may be motivated by an intention to actively shape itself as a third force in the great power game. The EU may be trying to assert itself on the international stage as independent of the United States, which aligns itself with the United States on many interests, especially at the economic level. Biden is pursuing a number of policies aimed at small and medium-sized countries, and the European Union is supporting these approaches. Despite the EU's attempts to portray itself as an independent force, there is unanimity on the issue of the United States and Europe jointly asserting their status.
From a passive point of view, the EU may have adopted the approach of excluding China and the United States under the influence of the intensification of the game between China and the United States. At the 2023 Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum, the United States sent a delegation to participate, but this year it was excluded. This shows that the EU does not want to invite the United States, but that it cannot do so. In the current tense environment between China and the United States, if the EU invites the United States but not China, it will be difficult to win the acceptance of other Indo-Pacific countries. The EU chose not to invite China and the United States to avoid being seen as taking sides, and to maintain a relatively neutral position.
This passive approach has also been affected by the increasingly fierce game between China and the United States and the obvious differences between Europe and the United States. To a certain extent, the EU may want to avoid being too "anti-China" and being exploited by the United States. The holding of this forum is actually an attempt by the EU to intervene in the affairs of the Asia-Pacific region in a relatively independent capacity against the backdrop of the Sino-US game and compete for its own interests in the global multipolar pattern. This goal may be difficult to achieve due to the many divergent interests within the EU and the contradictions with the United Kingdom and the United States over their economic interests in Asia.
The EU's choice not to invite China and the United States to host the Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum not only shows a desire to take the initiative to stand out in the game, but is also affected by the Sino-US game and the pressure of coordination with the United States. The EU is trying to expand its political influence in the Indo-Pacific region, but it still has to deal with complex factors from all sides. In the context of the current changes in the global landscape, the role and influence of the EU in the Asia-Pacific region will become a topic of great concern.
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