Hanging Together or Hanging Separately? Europe and the Indo-Pacific in United States-China Rivalry

By Luis Simón, Daniel Fiott, Octavian Manea, Zack Cooper and Toshi Yoshihara

15/2025

The United States appears to be consistent on the idea that “great power” or “strategic” competition and, more specifically, “competition with China” stands out as its overriding national security priority. Insofar as Trump administration’s strategic approach towards Ukraine and Europe appears to be significantly informed by China and Indo Pacific-related considerations, the US is operating under the assumption that there is a high-degree of interdependence between Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific strategic dynamics. This CSDS In-Depth Paper tries to make sense of how strategic dynamics in Europe and the Indo-Pacific intersect with each other, what that means for US strategy and the implications for US allies in both regions. The paper offers key US allies such as European states and Australia a pathfinder into how dynamics within and between strategic theatres may play out, and, more importantly, what are the repercussions of these dynamics for key Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific actors such as Australia, Europe, Japan, South Korea and others.

Final Report

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