The adjustment of foreign policies between the European Union and India after the Cold War has promoted the development of bilateral relations; At the beginning of the 21st century, a comprehensive strategic partnership was established, but its development was slow and uneven; The EU's strategic focus has shifted towards the Indo Pacific region, presenting new opportunities for the development of EU India relations; The EU is attempting to build India into an important pivot of the Indo Pacific strategy, and the relationship between the two sides presents a comprehensive strategic interaction; Explore the new characteristics, development reasons, future trends, and impact on China of the EU India strategic interaction under the "Indo Pacific Strategy".

1、 New Trends in EU India Relations from the Perspective of the "Indo Pacific Strategy"

France and Germany respectively launched the "Indo Pacific Strategy" in 2019 and 2020, and the European Union released the "EU Indo Pacific Cooperation Strategy" in 2021, officially intervening in Indo Pacific affairs and seeking to establish a strong partnership with the region. The EU regards India as an important pivot country in the "Indo Pacific Strategy", and the two sides have achieved "comprehensive" strategic cooperation in strategic layout, security and defense, economy and trade, and global governance. The EU has elevated India's position in its "Indo Pacific Strategy" and deepened the connotation of the EU India strategic partnership through policy documents, viewing India as a key partner in balancing Asian power. The EU and India share common interests in trade, supply chain, digital and other fields, and strengthening partnership with India is a priority for the EU in the next decade.

2、 The driving factors for the new development of EU India relations

The geopolitical changes in the Indo Pacific region are the fundamental reason for the development of EU India relations. The EU regards India as a geopolitical pillar, especially in the context of China's economic and military power changes. The coordination between the United States and Europe has increased, promoting strategic engagement between the EU and India, and NATO is also seeking to establish a new partnership with India. The conflict between Russia-Ukraine conflict has impacted the European order. The EU regards Russia as a security threat and tries to distance India from Russia by strengthening its strategic relationship with India. India's diplomatic strategy has shifted from "non alignment" to "multi-directional alignment", with the European Union becoming an important part of its multi-level diplomacy. India is committed to developing broader multilateral and bilateral relations with European countries. In 2020, the border conflict and COVID-19 prompted India to adjust its policy towards China and accelerate the pace of "multi direction alliance". India regards the EU as an important source of technology transfer and foreign investment, helping to achieve the goals of the "Made in India" plan and the "self-reliance" initiative. Reshaping the global supply chain is an important driving force for the strategic interaction between the EU and India. In response to the call of the United States, the EU calls on member states to strengthen cooperation with Indo Pacific countries and transfer supply chains from China to other countries. India has become the EU's preferred choice due to its low labor prices, vast market, and strong development momentum. India hopes to play a greater role in restructuring the global supply chain. The Modi government has formulated policies to encourage the development of domestic manufacturing, attract foreign investment to build factories, and promote India's role as a global manufacturing center. The EU and India are increasingly aligned in the values of "rule shaping" and "multilateralism", with shared values serving as the foundation for building a strategic partnership. Both sides are committed to shaping a "rule-based" multilateral order in the Indo Pacific region and strengthening multilateral cooperation in global governance.

3、 Assessment of the Strategic Interaction between Europe and India: Constraints and Prospects

In the context of the "Indo Pacific Strategy", the strategic interaction between the EU and India has made progress and presented new characteristics. EU India cooperation in the field of connectivity is strengthening, which may compete with the "the Belt and Road" initiative. The focus of EU policy is to strengthen cooperation with Asian countries, especially with countries such as India, China, and Japan, gradually expanding to regional and international cooperation. In 2021, the European Union and India established a connectivity partnership, clarifying digital, transportation, energy, and talent as key areas of cooperation, with a particular emphasis on expanding cooperation to third-party countries in the digital field. The EU and India intend to develop connectivity cooperation as a geopolitical tool, which will be extended to third-party cooperation in the future, targeting countries with insufficient infrastructure, providing financing and technical assistance, and building a cooperation axis. The EU will strengthen the integration of the "Global Gateway" plan and the EU India connectivity, engage with the US led "Rebuilding a Better World" (B3W), develop worldwide infrastructure cooperation projects, and bring challenges to China's "the Belt and Road".

4、 Conclusion

The EU regards India as an important pivot of the Indo Pacific strategy, achieving comprehensive strategic interaction and promoting the development of the EU India strategic partnership. The Chinese factor is an important driving force for the strengthening of strategic interaction between Europe and India. In the framework of strategic competition with China, the interaction between Europe and India may increase consistency with the United States in strategic coordination with China. Security and supply chain are two areas where the strategic interaction between Europe and India may bring significant pressure to China. The United States supports India in playing a regional leadership role, and India actively seeks to woo the European Union to jointly address the challenges brought by China. Both sides may exert pressure on China's neighboring security at the level of rule shaping. The United States and the European Union, as well as the European Union and India, have established trade and technology committees to accelerate supply chain cooperation and reduce dependence on China's supply chain. The EU India Free Trade Agreement, as agreed, will promote the deep integration of Indian companies into the European industrial chain and accelerate the process of European manufacturers transferring from China to India. Against the backdrop of the restructuring of the global supply chain in the United States and Europe, China's value and position in the supply chain may be impacted to some extent. In the long run, the inclusion of EU India strategic interaction in the framework of US strategic competition with China may have a certain negative impact on China, but in the short term, China's position in the global supply chain is difficult to be replaced by India. In the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the EU's stance towards China has eased. China can use the current window period to strive for some room for maneuver in its diplomatic strategy towards Europe and India, and try to differentiate and reduce the adverse impact of the strategic interaction between Europe and India on China. In terms of China Europe relations, there is still great potential for cooperation in economic and trade cooperation and global governance between the two sides. We should actively promote high-level dialogue mechanisms in the digital and climate change fields to shift towards policy docking, in order to cope with noise interference such as "decoupling" and "disconnection". In terms of Sino Indian relations, China can promote the healthy development of its relationship with India within the framework of strategic cooperation between China, Russia, and India, to a certain extent expanding the common interests between China and India and increasing the centrifugal force between India and the United States and Europe.