More India and less China: Germany needs a new policy on Asia

The global economy and global politics have turned the spotlight on two rising powers, China and India. The pecking order of the two states with their billion-plus populations seems obvious. China is already being seen as a new superpower that is on a par with the US. And whilst India may not be a world power, it dominates South Asia and the Indian Ocean. That is why the Europeans have devoted far more time and energy over the past few years to China, which is a totalitarian regime, than to India, which is a democracy. However, in the recent past moves have been afoot to upgrade the status of India. Whilst it is still too early to speak of a new trend, there are very good reasons why Germany and Europe should cooperate with India. It could be a reliable partner at the start of the 'Asian Century' on account of its cultural similarities, common economic and (security) policy interests, and above all as a result of a shared set of values based on democracy and the rule of law. Urs Schoettli embarked on a career as a reporter in East Asia in the 1980s. He was born in Basle, where he studied philosophy before becoming involved in the political activities of various NGOs at the end of the 1970s. In 1983 he moved to India at the behest of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, and was its Asia correspondent for two decades. He has lived in Delhi, Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo, and published numerous books. In 2010 he became an independent consultant on Asian affairs.