Australia and New Zealand Recalibrate their China Policies: Convergence and Divergence

Recently, the European Union presented its strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, which is not a coherent world region but a concept to respond to geopolitical and geo-economic dynamics linked to China’s rise. This GIGA Focus analyses the interests and concerns of the small powers in the Pacific.

The Pacific Islands Forum is facing its biggest crisis since its founding 50 years ago. Nearly one-third of its members are to leave the organization in 2022 because their candidate for secretary general was not elected in early 2021. Reforms may help to avert the "Micronexit", but challenges still abound for the Pacific’s premier regional body.

Naval deployments have taken centre stage in the implementation of Indo-Pacific policies. Yet, as the voyage of the frigate “Bayern” exemplifies, the German, similar to other European policies, suffers from contradictions that are hidden under the “rules-based order” label.

This article examines Australia's and New Zealand's policies towards the (South) Pacific. A context-sensitive, paired comparison reveals significant differences with respect to security and migration policies. These difference exist alongside the many similarities and joint approaches in the two Australasian countries' relations with and policies towards the Pacific.

This GIGA Focus sheds light on the new Iranian conservative president Sayyid Ebrahim Raisi, and his doctrine of “pragmatic revolutionism.” The author analyses what the Iranian Asia-oriented foreign policy entails geopolitically and geoeconomically, and suggests how the multilateralist tendencies can be used by policymakers.

Recently, the European Union presented its strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, which is not a coherent world region but a concept to respond to geopolitical and geo-economic dynamics linked to China’s rise. This GIGA Focus analyses the interests and concerns of the small powers in the Pacific.