Trade and Geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific: The EU, France, and the CPTPP
Australian Institute of International Affairs
“The modalities of any agreement still have to be defined. But with a combined GDP greater than China’s, the EU has the capacity to be an economic anchor to the region, offering additional possibilities for diversification, providing Asian and Pacific countries with more export opportunities and investment options. Negotiating such an agreement between the EU and the CPTPP countries would likely be complex and lengthy. But whatever the final contours of the arrangement, the coordination between the two blocs would strengthen their respective members’ bargaining position in negotiations with both the US and China, and promote regional integration in the process.”