Helena Legarda on the EU security in the Indo-Pacific

As tensions are increasing in the Indo-Pacific, the EU is exploring ways to contribute to the security framework in the region. In doing so, the bloc has to navigate the complex dynamics between its ambitions and capabilities as well as reactions from both China and like-minded partners. But what exactly is the EU’s objective in the security realm and can it achieve it?

In this episode, we talk to Helena Legarda Senior Analyst at MERICS, who is an expert on Chinas defense and foreign policy and its geopolitical impact. She is also the lead author of MERICS China Security and Risk Tracker.

The conversation covers a range of security issues including the EU’s capability to project power in the Indo-Pacific, China’s reactions to French and German military operations in the region and much more. 

This episode is the second in a three-part series on the EU, China and the Indo-Pacific. Listen to the first episode with Gunnar Wiegand, the Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service.