Dr. Johannes Plagemann

In 2026, trade negotiations with the US and EU will need to be balanced by India with the demands of its BRICS presidency amid a shifting global order. Complex ties with China and the US, state elections, and tensions with the South Asian country’s diverse neighbours will test the ruling government.

Geopolitical rivalry with China, the collapse of Russia as a trading partner, and the radical paradigm shift in US foreign policy under Trump evince a core truth: Germany needs reliable partners in the Global South. How can the incoming government best respond? Four trends to note are outlined.

The geopolitical competition between the USA and China takes place primarily in the Indo-Pacific. Co-edited by GIGA researcher Johannes Plagemann, this Special Issues explores regionals states' as well as the EU's ambivalent reactions to it through the prism of 'foreign policy signaling'.

This chapter details the evolution of French and German policies toward the Indo-Pacific region, shedding light on divergencies and differences. It concludes by outlining how the demand for alternatives across Indo-Pacific states creates room for European involvement outside the US-China rivalry.

Die Rivalität zwischen Indien und China hat sich in den letzten Jahren zugespitzt, auch weil Grenzstreitigkeiten ungelöst blieben. GIGA-Wissenschaftler Dr. Johannes Plagemann diskutiert die Beziehungen der zwei bevölkerungsreichsten Staaten der Erde im ARD-Podcast Welt.Macht.China.

Der Konflikt zwischen Indien und Pakistan verschärft sich. DLF Kultur im Gespräch mit GIGA-Wissenschaftler Dr. Johannes Plagemann zu den Hintergründen. 

Organiser: Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation e.V. (Berlin) (FES Berlin), Friedrich Ebert Foundation Dr. Tomas Costa de Azevedo Marques (Speaker), Dr. Johannes Plagemann (Speaker), Prof. Dr. Miriam Prys-Hansen (Speaker)

As global cooperation fragments, this piece examines how the G20 can act in a weakened multilateral order, what South Africa’s presidency could deliver, and how Germany can help make it a success.

Organiser: King’s College London Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (Panelist), Dr. Johannes Plagemann (Panelist), Dr. Christophe Jaffrelot (Organiser)

Patrick Köllner and Johannes Plagemann participated in the UK-Europe Track 1.5 Dialogue 2025, organised in cooperation with the Franco-German Observatory of the Indo-Pacific. They addressed in their presentations the modalities of and the challenges facing European approaches to the Indo-Pacific.