When East meets West meets Trump’s America: European diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific
The return of Donald Trump could shake the fundamentals of US relationships in the Indo-Pacific. Here’s how Europeans should act
Experts & Staff
James Crabtree
Distinguished Visiting Fellow
Areas of expertise
Geopolitics, emerging technologies, geoeconomics in the Indo-Pacific, US-China relations, Indian foreign policy, Southeast Asia, UK and US foreign policy
Languages
English
Biography
James Crabtree is a distinguished visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Crabtree is a geopolitical analyst and author, with extensive experience living and working in Asia. His book The Billionaire Raj: A Journey Through India’s New Gilded Age, was named an Amazon book of the year and short-listed as a Financial Times & McKinsey business book of the year. Prior to joining ECFR, he was the Singapore-based executive director of the Institute of International Strategic Studies in Asia, where he led the organisation of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit, and an associate professor in practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School, Asia’s leading school of public policy.
James spent ten years as a journalist and foreign correspondent, notably for the Financial Times, where he was both Mumbai bureau chief and comment editor. He is currently a columnist for Foreign Policy and writes for publications ranging from the Straits Times to The New York Times, the Guardian and Wired. He previously worked as a senior advisor in the UK prime minister’s Strategy Unit, under Gordon Brown and Tony Blair. Crabtree has worked for various think tanks in London and Washington, and spent several years living in America, initially as a Fulbright Scholar at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
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Articles
When East meets West meets Trump’s America: European diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific
The return of Donald Trump could shake the fundamentals of US relationships in the Indo-Pacific. Here’s how Europeans should act
Pyongyang’s power play: How the EU should respond to North Korean troops in Russia
North Korea’s troop deployment to the Russian front represents a fundamental shift in Europe’s security relations with east Asia. To confront the Moscow-Pyongyang axis, the EU should deepen its partnership with South Korea
Russia, Ukraine, and the two Koreas: How east Asian powers are influencing Europe’s security
Europeans should work to understand the threats from the North Korea-Russia relationship – and deepen their security partnership with South Korea
Forget the bear hug: India’s gradual turn from Russia, towards the West
India remains concerned with China above all. Western partners such as the US and the EU are much more useful to New Delhi than is Moscow
Rebooting EU-India relations: How to unlock post-election potential
Ties between Brussels and New Delhi have long struggled to reach their potential. After their respective elections, shared geopolitical concerns about China and common goals on topics from technology to economic security can provide a chance for a reboot
The red flags ahead: What to expect from Taiwan’s election
Tensions over Taiwan are likely to rise in the aftermath of this weekend’s election, regardless of who wins. The next president will seek closer ties with Europe, which will necessitate a more coherent and unified policy
Looking beyond China: Why it’s time to refresh the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy
As ties between Europe and China continue to cool, European leaders should refocus their energies on strengthening relations elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific
In the media
James Crabtree on China’s expectations after investing in the Global South
James Crabtree on China in the Global South
As European trade ministers meet, the main concern will be the chaos that a possible second Donald Trump victory could cause to the global trade system
James Cratbee on the risks related to global trade ahead of the European Council Meeting of 17-18 october
Don’t expect there to be a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow. China is not in a position where it is going to be investing large amounts money in the UK
James Crabtree on the UK’s Labour’s China Pivot
Leaders across Europe and North America are racing to erect tariffs on items including electric vehicles and solar panels
James Crabtree discusses the coming clash between China and the Global South