Manchester University Press - The European Union in the Asia-Pacific

Since the mid-1990s, the European Union has defined the Asia Pacific as one of its key strategic targets on its ambitious road towards a global power. Over the past decades, big changes have taken place on both sides and the wider world. It's high time to evaluate the EU's performance in its Asian policy. In fact, the EU is at crossroads with its Asia Pacific policy. On several aspects, the EU is compelled to redefine its interests and roles, and rethink its strategies and policies towards the dynamic and ever important Asia Pacific region. This volume addresses this theme, by elaborating the general context, major issues and countries in the EU's Asia Pacific policy. It covers issue areas of traditional security, economy and trade, public diplomacy, and human security and focuses on the EU's relations with China, Japan, the ASEAN countries, and Australasia.

Reviews

'At a time when both the EU and Asian regional groups are facing significant pressures from the global power shift, this remarkable collection of essays offers both cutting edge analysis and suggests pathways for their mutual interaction and advancement. A valuable read for scholars and policy-makers alike.'

Amitav Acharya, Distinguished Professor of International Relations, American University, Washington, D.C

'This welcome volume adds significantly to the literature on relations between the European Union and Asia-Pacific. It is well organised, brings together a strong set of expert contributors and benefits from a strong set of common themes and questions. It raises and explores a range of highly significant ideas about the EU's capacity to become, and be recognised as, a strategic actor in East and Southeast Asia, and subjects them to analysis and evaluation from both a European and an Asia-Pacific perspective.'

Michael Smith, Professor in European Politics, University of Warwick

'It is high time for the EU to rethink its strategic priorities in the Asia-Pacific region. This volume does full justice to this aim, in terms of both coverage and depth. Overall, this is first-rate account of its subject and a necessary read for anyone seeking a better understanding of both the EU and the Asia Pacific at the beginning of the 21st century.'

Pascal Vennesson, Professor of Political Science, S. Rajaratnam School of International Relations, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Contents
List of tables
List of figures
Notes on contributors
Preface
List of abbreviations
Introduction: The European Union's Asia-Pacific strategies and policies at the crossroads
Weiqing Song and Jianwei Wang
Part I: General strategic context
1 The European Union in the Asia-Pacific: strategic reflections
Michael Reiterer
2 A European pivot towards Asia? Inter-regionalism in a new era
Julie Gilson
Part II: Major issues and themes
3 European Union security policy and initiatives in the Asia-Pacific
Fulvio Attinà
4 Assessing the European Union's economic relations with the Asia-Pacific
Miguel Otero-Iglesias
5 Public diplomacy of the European Union in East Asia
Suetyi Lai and Li Zhang
6 The European Union's approach to human security: lessons from the Asia-Pacific
Evangelos Fanoulis
Part III: Selected countries and groups
7 The European Union's partnership with China: navigating between trouble and promise
Gustaaf Geeraerts
8 Shifting constraints, evolving opportunities and the search for the "strategic" in the European Union-Japan bilateral partnership
Elena Atanassova-Cornelis
9 The European Union's security strategy in the ASEAN region
Reuben Wong
10 The European Union in Australia and New Zealand
Nicole Scicluna
Index

Editors

Weiqing Song is Associate Professor of Political Science and Jean Monnet Chair in European Politics at the University of Macau

Jianwei Wang is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Macau