During a comprehensive tour along the western Pacific rim, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has issued a resounding call to safeguard the rules-based international order. His visits to Japan, Singapore, and Australia highlighted a growing consensus: the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific are inextricably linked.
The message resonated strongly in Canberra, where Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles hosted Pistorius on March 26, 2026. "We respect the rule of law nationally and internationally," Marles declared during a joint parliamentary press conference. "The rules-based order is extraordinarily important to both our countries."
Pistorius emphasized the inescapable realities of globalization. "Today's world is increasingly interconnected. Day by day. Whether we like it or not," he stated. "Conflicts, economic crises, natural disasters—they occur in one region of the world, but their causes can lie in another region far away."
Beyond diplomatic pleasantries, Pistorius's trip signaled Germany's search for a redefined global role. Speaking at the National Press Club of Australia, he urged nations to break free from an exclusive focus on superpowers. "We should change our focus and no longer look at: What is China doing, what is Russia doing, what are the US doing?" Pistorius argued. "They are the world's superpowers, but all middle powers together—if they stick together, are reliable and commit to their goals—are at least as strong as them. That requires unity and determination. In this framework we can achieve a lot."
He warned against foreign policies driven by anxiety, comparing such dynamics to a "toxic partnership." According to the German minister, "Whoever always only focuses on their opponent or partner never acts sovereignly. One is manipulated by fear. And decisions based on fear are always wrong."
The strategic alignment was also evident in defense technology cooperation. During his Australian visit, Pistorius inspected the MQ-28 Ghostbat drone at RAAF Base Amberley near Brisbane and test-drove a Rheinmetall "Boxer" wheeled armored vehicle alongside Australian Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy.
However, Pistorius acknowledged that any sustainable international framework still requires superpower participation, though their priorities must evolve. Crucially, he advocated for a more inclusive system that integrates the Global South. Recognizing the demands of nations like India, Indonesia, South Africa, and Turkey for a fairer global power structure, he noted, "I also believe that the countries of the global South are thinking about a different influence that they understandably would like to have. The question is how to guarantee that."
This builds on Pistorius's 2023 diplomatic efforts in India and Indonesia. While India views itself as a "trustee of the global South"—as noted in a recent German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) study titled "Multipolarities"—its historical aversion to foreign interference means building this new, inclusive global order will require nuanced and sustained diplomacy.
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