Europe: Divided Over AUKUS and China

Abstract

The AUKUS deterrence strategy towards China contrasts with the more cooperative EU Indo-Pacific strategy. In Europe, this can be traced to the fact that the UK and France/Germany support different geopolitical world views. European (and possibly Western) cohesion requires that geographical and geo-economic heterogeneities, together with Chinese wedging, are overcome. This can only happen, if at all, if the expensive partner receives a significant “solidarity reward.”