Speaking at a conference on a Asia vision for Germany and Europe, ahead of her visit to India on October 29, Merkel said though the US remains the “security anchor of Asia”, Europe and Germany must engage in closer economic and strategic ties with China, India, Japan and the ASEAN countries, she said.

Strengthening Europe and expanding relations with Asia would allow Germany to continue to be a relevant partner to the US, which is increasingly turning its attention to Asia, she said. “Asia is responsible for growth of the world economy. It is in our interest to have a stable Asia. Our growth potential is closely bound to the growth of Asia. We also depend on our Asian partners to take responsibility to solve issues. Stable regional development in Asia is of utmost importance,” she added.

Three of the world’s conflict hotspots exist in the region — Taiwan, India-Pakistan and North Korea, Merkel said.

China has taken responsibility on resolving certain issues, but the political situation in Pakistan has not reached a satisfactory level of stability, the Chancellor said.

Though the Chancellor herself did not spell out the kind of responsibility she would expect India to take up on the Myanmar issue, her party’s foreign policy spokesperson Eckart von Klaeden said Germany would expect India to be more vocal on the issue. She said she would raise the issue of poverty alleviation in talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during her visit. Merkel also advocated respect for Asian ways of thinking and action and avoidance of a policy that the West knows the best. “We must understand that there are different structures for resolution of conflicts and open mindedness will help resolve challenges,” she said.

The recent felicitation of the Dalai Lama by the Chancellor has caused some consternation in the foreign policy think tank circle in Germany, with China cancelling official level meetings in protest.

“It has been a setback to relations with China. They have cancelled delegation level meetings. The government must decide if they want to anger the Chinese or if they want them to co-operate” Prof Eberhard Sandschneider of the German Council on Foreign Relations and a China expert said.

Merkel’s advisors, however, feel that China will come around eventually to restoring normalcy. “Some civil servant level meetings have been cancelled but we don’t expect China to act in a tougher way,” the Director General of foreign policy and security advisor Christoph Heusgen said.