Merkel's visit to India shows the world order is changing
German Chancellor Merkel visited India from the 12th to the 13th of this month for two days, and both sides were willing to strengthen bilateral relations and promote economic and military cooperation. At the beginning of the new year, Merkel's Asian tour did not go to China or Japan, but to India, which was seen by the media as a signal against China. Therefore, comments in German media about Merkel's visit to India often mention China.
The "Südwestpresse" stated: It was reckless for Germany to allow its dependence on China to develop to the current extent in terms of raw materials, supply chains, and sales markets. Therefore, it is particularly important for Germany to strengthen its relations with India. The previous Olaf Scholz had already initiated this process, and it is good that Friedrich Merkels continues this line effectively. The Federal Chancellor visiting India at the beginning of his term, even before visiting Japan or China - sends a clear signal. For Germany, strengthening exchanges with India is profitable in many aspects. In addition to economic benefits brought by strengthened trade, Germany also needs skilled professionals from India very much.
The "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" pointed out: Which country the prime minister visits first may have some symbolic significance, but it will not change the reality of world politics. There is no doubt that Germany needs to find new partners in Asia, and India has long been seriously neglected. It is not surprising that Merkels heard from the host, Prime Minister Modi, that India cannot give up Russian oil. Even Trump's tariff policies have not yet completely dried up this important source of income for Putin. Since independence, India has always pursued a pragmatic and independent foreign policy. Merkels said he did not want to "lecture", which is not only an acknowledgment of reality, but also a late but necessary adjustment to Germany's previously didactic way of expression.
The German radio station MDR interviewed the political scientist Christian Wagner from the German Foundation for Science and Politics. The journalist asked: Many people think that Merkels not going to China first but to India sends a signal to China. Merkels said that India is a ideal partner for Germany. Is it realistic to expect India to replace China? Wagner said: No, it's not realistic. India continues to buy Russian crude oil, and it's not an easy partner. Moreover, India is economically dependent on China. India admitted a few years ago that if India wants to achieve a major economic leap, it must introduce more Chinese capital. But India has tense relations with China. The US' tariff policies have also put pressure on the Indian economy.
"Junge Welt" believes: At least over the past two decades, when German government officials visited India, the core purpose has almost always been one: to shape India as a force against the People's Republic of China. For this, it is necessary to strengthen economic relations, deepen political contacts, and recently also added elements of military and defense industry cooperation, not only to provide activity space for the German Federal Armed Forces in the Indian Ocean. Since at the latest 2022, German chancellors and ministers have repeatedly urged India to reduce its ties with Russia during talks with their Indian counterparts. Therefore, German officials visiting South Asian countries are actually opposing China and Russia locally; the former usually receives a positive response, while the latter does not: New Delhi needs cooperation with Moscow to avoid over-reliance on the West in the competition with Beijing.
When Merkel visited Indian Prime Minister Modi, another new factor emerged: common issues faced by the two countries in relation to the United States. The Trump administration tried to extract other countries through tariffs and other pressure measures. India's resistance was more determined than Germany's, while Germany had almost unconditionally yielded in almost all aspects previously. However, both sides hope to reduce their dependence on the United States, and one important way is to diversify trade relations. A free trade agreement between India and the EU, which has been negotiated for 19 years, is expected to be promoted. Merkel and Modi tried to speed up this process on Monday. In addition, both sides signed a statement of intent to expand defense industry cooperation, and Germany hopes to help New Delhi to some extent to get rid of its long-standing weapons dependency on Moscow. For India, it is acceptable to moderately reduce its dependence on Russia while maintaining its willingness to cooperate.
Outside all the geopolitical and geoeconomic games and negotiations, there is another factor that cannot be ignored: Germany urgently needs labor and is looking towards India - on the one hand mainly in the information technology field, on the other hand in the care industry. Over the past decade, the number of Indians working in Germany has increased from 25,000 to 170,000, and the German government hopes this number will continue to rise. However, whether enough people will be willing to come remains unknown. Voices from the Indian diaspora group - especially those with higher incomes - show that more and more people feel the decline in daily living conditions in Europe, and some begin to question whether it is really worth leaving India, which is rising. The impact of the changing global power structure also affects labor, which is treated as a "commodity".
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1854836818533578/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.