The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) is an inter-governmental, not-for-profit organisation that promotes understanding and interactions between Asia and Europe. In 2022-2023, ASEF is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. The past 25 years have been an extraordinary opportunity to bring Asia and Europe closer. The next 25 years could be more challenging; in a fragmenting world, it could also mean a bigger role for ASEF given its bridging capabilities and its reputation as an honest broker. As the only permanent institution of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the future of ASEF is inextricably linked to ASEM. How would Asia-Europe Cooperation look like 25 years from now? What are the driving forces? What do Asians and Europeans stand to gain or lose? What is at stake? What is your vision for ASEM’s destination? Voices from Asians and Europeans on The Future of Asia-Europe Cooperation: An Essay Competition Commemorating ASEF’s 25th Anniversary collects 68 essays from Asians and Europeans that elaborate on this topic, seeking to answer these questions and present the hopes for the future of Asia-Europe cooperation.

This book examines the interregional relations of the European Union with East Asia through the prism of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). ASEM currently brings together 16 Asian countries, the 27 member states of the European Union, as well as the ASEAN Secretariat and the European Commission. ASEM's ten-year anniversary and the Sixth Summit in Helsinki prompted reflection on the forum's accomplishments in three dimensions of interaction, its working methods, democratic involvement, public awareness and global strategic potential. The volume provides an in-depth evaluation of ASEM's first decade from a European perspective, including the achievements of the ASEM6 Summit and its implications for the future of the process. It also analyzes the role of interregional interaction as a tool for EU foreign policy.

This text is the best introduction to the history, institutions, actors, processes and challenges of European Foreign Policy. This 2nd edition has been fully revised and updated to reflect the substantial changes to European Foreign Policy as a result of the Lisbon Treaty and other significant changes in European and global politics. New material for this edition includes: detailed analysis of the changes brought about by the Lisbon treaty including the new High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the new EU External Action Service changing transatlantic relations since the election of President Obama expanded discussion of the European and Security Defence missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo and elsewhere an assessment of the impact of the relations between the EU and its three strategic partners – China, India and Japan –as well as ASEAN and the new FTA with Korea evaluation of the global financial crisis on the EU, examining EU’s external relations within the context of a rapidly changing global power structure. With clearly illustrated up-to-date case studies, covering major issues such as Egypt, Libya, Iraq and Iran, each chapter includes key questions and suggestions for further reading. As such, An Introduction to European Foreign Policy continues to be essential reading for all students of European and international politics as well as those who wish to become involved in the external relations of the EU.

This book examines the involvement of the European Union (EU) and China in Central Asia and critically assesses the implications this has for the region as a whole. The volume adopts a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from International Relations, EU Studies, International Economics, International Law, Sinology, and History. It concentrates on three thematic levels: (1) historical and contextual, (2) geopolitical and geo-economic, and (3) socio-cultural and institutional. Paying particular attention to the role of the EU and the factors driving the EU’s and China’s relations with Central Asia, it looks at how the Central Asian countries position themselves vis-à-vis China’s growing influence, and how the balance of power between China, Russia, and the EU plays out. Contributors also explore the important historical context of the ‘Silk Routes’, as well as of the erstwhile connection of the Central Asian states with the Soviet Union. Critically analysing the potential areas for collaboration and synergy between the EU and China, the book also discusses the extent to which they share a common ground in Central Asia that could serve as a basis for long-term cooperation. It will be of interest to all scholars and students of International Relations, Economics, Sinology, and History.

The inauguration of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Bangkok in 1996 was celebrated with enthusiasm and hopes in the two regions because this forum represented a breakthrough in Asia-Europe relations. The region-to-region pattern of the relations becomes the study framework that enables the explorations of central themes which include the Asian regional identity, ASEAN collective diplomatic prominence, and the informality of the ASEM institution. In exploring those central themes, this book applies constructivist, realist, and neo-liberal institutional theories consecutively. The difference between Asian and European cooperative culture, as well as the longevity of an international institution, adds to the picture. This book contributes not only to the study of Asia-Europe relations but also to the understanding of regionalism in Asia.