Abstract
This chapter examines the EU’s relations vis-à-vis Southeast Asia (SEA) in light of recent changes in the international environment, such as the greater assertiveness of China in SEA and growing uncertainty regarding the U.S.’ future role in the Asia–Pacific region. These changes not only threaten several Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members’ foreign policy autonomy and undermine ASEAN unity and centrality but, in doing so, provide a real opportunity for the EU to play a greater role in the region. At a time when many Southeast Asian countries seek to avoid putting all their eggs in one basket and increasingly try to tackle excessive dependencies on China, the EU, which already has made substantial investments in the region, may be able to build onto existing relationships in the economic, political, and security realms and solidify them.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Acharya, A. (2009). Whose ideas matter: Agency and power in Asian regionalism. Cornell University Press.
ASG Strategies. (2017, May 18). Southeast Asia: A notch in China’s belt and road initiative. https://asgstrategies.com/southeast-asia-notch-chinas-belt-road-initiative/. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Baczynska, G., & Emmott, R. (2021, March 8). Exclusive: EU preparing sanctions on Myanmar military businesses, documents show. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-politics-eu/exclusive-eu-preparing-sanctions-on-myanmar-military-businesses-documents-show-idUSKBN2B01D. Accessed 8 March 2021.
Banim, G., & Pejsova, E. (2017). Preventive diplomacy and the EU. In G. Banim & E. Pejsova (Eds.), Prevention better than cure: The EU’s quiet diplomacy in Asia (pp. 1–69). EU Institute for Security Studies Report. https://www.iss.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EUISSFiles/Report%2033_0.pdf. Accessed 21 March 2018.
Barnier, M. (2015, June 15). European Commission. In defence of Europe. European Political Strategy Center, Brussels, 4, 1–15. https://ec.europa.eu/epsc/publications/strategic-notes/defence-europe_en. Accessed 21 March 2018.
Burnay, M., & Hermez, M. (2017). The South China Sea: Rule of law as a tool of preventive diplomacy. In G. Banim & E. Pejsova (Eds.). Prevention better than cure: The EU’s quiet diplomacy in Asia (pp. 40–45). EU Institute for Security Studies Report. https://www.iss.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EUISSFiles/Report%2033_0.pdf. Accessed 21 March 2018.
Busbarat, P. (2018). Grabbing the forgotten: China’s leadership consolidation in Mainland Southeast Asia through the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation. ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Perspective, 6(7). https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2018_7@50.pdf. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Chatzky, A., & McBride, J. (2019, May 21). China’s massive belt and road initiative. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/chinas-massive-belt-and-road-initiative. Accessed 7 October 2019.
Chen, D., & Wang, Y. (2018, August 7). Can the US compete with China in Southeast Asia? The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2018/08/can-the-us-compete-with-china-in-southeast-asia/. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Chheang, V. (2018, August 15). China’s economic statecraft in Southeast Asia. ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute. Perspective, No. 45. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2018_45@50.pdf. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Council of the EU. (2019, January 21). Joint statement of the 22nd EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2019/01/21/joint-statement-of-the-22nd-eu-asean-ministerial-meeting/pdf. Accessed 5 March 2019.
Council on Foreign Relations. (2018, May 23). The US-Southeast Asia relationship: Responding to China’s rise (insights from a CFR workshop). https://www.cfr.org/report/us-southeast-asia-relationship-responding-chinas-rise. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Das, S. (2017, November 3). Southeast Asia worries over growing Economic dependence on China. ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Perspective, No. 8. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2017_81.pdf. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Das, S. (2018, June 21). Do the economic ties between ASEAN and China affect their strategic partnerships? ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Perspective, No. 32. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2018_32@50.pdf. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Doan, X. L. (2019, October 7). Vietnam-U.S. Relations flourishing under Trump. ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Perspective, No. 63. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2019_63.pdf. Accessed 7 October 2019.
Dosch, J., & Sidhu, J. (2015). The European Union’s Myanmar policy: Focused or directionless? Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 2, 85–112.
European Commission. (2001, September 4). Europe and Asia: A strategic framework for an enhanced partnership. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities, COM (2001), 469.
European Commission. (2007, March 15). Plan of action to implement the nuremberg declaration on an EU-ASEAN enhanced partnership. https://eeas.europa.eu/asean/docs/action_plan07.pdf. Accessed 24 September 2012.
European Council. (2017). Declaration of PESCO projects. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/32020/draft-pesco-declaration-clean-10122017.pdf. Accessed 21 March 2018).
European Union External Action. (2018). ASEAN-EU plan of action (2018–2022). https://cdn1-eeas.fpfis.tech.ec.europa.eu/cdn/farfuture/EuRiSsriRzz3uk86RXqQdKerVAZp_ElXTKfRf-szG8Q/mtime:1502023894/sites/eeas/files/asean-eu_plan_of_action_0.pdf. Accessed 5 March 2019.
European Union External Action. (2019). EU-ASEAN relations-A factsheet. https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/56914/eu-asean-relations-factsheet_hu. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Fisher, M., & Carlsen, A. (2018, March 9). How China is challenging American dominance in Asia. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/09/world/asia/china-us-asia-rivalry.html. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Fook, L. (2018, September 7). Mahathir’s China visit and Malaysia-China relations: The view from China. ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Perspective, No. 53. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2018_53@50.pdf. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Fook, L. (2019, May 15). China-Malaysia relations back on track? ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Perspective, No. 53. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2019_38.pdf. Accessed 7 October 2019.
Fook, L., & Hop, H. H. (2018, 31 August). Vietnam’s responses to China’s maritime assertiveness in the South China Sea. ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Perspective, No. 50. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2018_50@50.pdf. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Gallagher, E. (2018, January 31). Japan’s enduring value to Southeast Asia. Foreign Policy Research Institute. https://www.fpri.org/article/2018/01/japans-enduring-value-southeast-asia/. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Goh, E. (2006, December 12). China and Southeast Asia. Foreign Policy in Focus. https://fpif.org/china_and_southeast_asia/. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Hiep, L. H. (2018, August 7). America’s free and open Indo-Pacific strategy: A Vietnamese perspective. ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Perspective, No. 43. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2018_43@50.pdf. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Humphrey, C. (2018, Autumn). A region-to-region trade deal is possible—If ASEAN and the EU find common ground. In My ASEM wishlist: How Asia and Europe should really be working together (Friends of Europe Discussion Paper). https://friendsofeurope.org/publication/my-asem-wishlist. Accessed 5 March 2019.
Jeffrey, A. (2018, September 4). ASEAN centrality to play bigger role. Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS). https://www.isis.org.my/2018/09/04/asean-centrality/. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Kehoe, J. (2017, November 3). Trump’s America faces decline in Asia. Financial Review. https://www.afr.com/news/politics/world/trumps-america-faces-decline-in-asia-20171102-gzd3gf. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Khin, J., & Goh S. (2018). Engaging a global China: EU’s and ASEAN’s perspectives and responses. In L. H. Yeo (Ed.). Conference on engaging a Global China: EU’s and ASEAN’s perspectives and responses. Singapore. https://www.eucentre.sg/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/4-5Oct18-ConferenceReport-final-web.pdf. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Ku, S. (2016, March 3). China’s rising influence in Laos. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2016/03/chinas-rising-influence-in-laos/. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Kurlantzick, J. (2018, September/October). China’s risky play for global power. Washington Monthly. https://washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/september-october-2018/chinas-risky-play-for-global-power/. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Legarda, H., & Fuchs, M. (2017, November 29). As Trump withdraws America from the world, Xi’s China takes advantage. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/reports/2017/11/29/443383/trump-withdraws-america-world-xis-china-takes-advantage/. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Mills, C. (2017, December 12). EU defence: The realization of permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) (House of Commons Library Briefing Paper, 8149), pp. 1–7. https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-8149. Accessed 21 March 2018.
Mogherini, F. (2017). Permanent structured cooperation (PESCO)- factsheet. Brussels: European External Action Service (EEAS). https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/34226/permanent-structured-cooperation-pesco-factsheet_en. Accessed 21 March 2018.
Nagara, B. (2018, September 13). Some regional realities. Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS). Malaysia. https://www.isis.org.my/2018/09/13/some-regional-realities. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Nuttall, S. J. (1990). The commission: Protagonists of inter-regional cooperation. In G. Edwards & E. Regelsberger (Eds.), Europe’s global links: The European Community and inter-regional cooperation (pp. 143–160). Pinter.
Nye, J. (2018, 9 April). Asia after Trump. Project Syndicate. https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/asia-after-trump-american-leadership-survives-by-joseph-s--nye-2018-04. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Pejsova, E. (2015). Asia: Disasters as opportunities? (EUISS Issue Alert, No. 16). https://www.iss.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EUISSFiles/Alert_16_SAR.pdf. Accessed 24 January 2020.
Pejsova, E. (2017, May). Introduction. In G. Banim & E. Pejsova (Eds.), Prevention better than cure: The EU’s quiet diplomacy in Asia. EU Institute for Security Studies Report, 33 (pp. 1–69). https://www.iss.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EUISSFiles/Report%2033_0.pdf. Accessed 21 March 2018.
Petersson, M. (2006). Myanmar in EU-ASEAN relations. Asia Europe Journal, 4, 563–581.
Qingzhen, C. (2016, March 13). Risks to China’s grand strategy in Southeast Asia. Global Risk Insights. https://globalriskinsights.com/2016/03/chinas-grand-strategy-in-southeast-asia/. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Raine, S. (2016). A road map to strategic relevance: EU security-policy options in Southeast Asia. International Institute for Strategic Studies. https://www.iiss.org/en/events/events/archive/2016-a3c2/june-4a2d/launch---a-road-map-to-strategic-relevance-98c1. Accessed 21 April 2017.
Singh, B. (2017). Japan-ASEAN relations: Challenges, impact and strategic options. Panorama: Insights into Asian and European Affairs (1), 95–106.
Storey, I. (2018, February 21). The Trump administration’s 2017 national security strategy and 2018 national defense strategy: Implications for Southeast Asia. ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute. Perspective, No. 9. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2018_9@50.pdf. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Storey, I., & Cook, M. (2018, November 29). The Trump administration and Southeast Asia: America’s Asia policy crystalizes. ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Perspective, No. 77. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2018_77@50.pdf. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Sutter, R. (2007, April 20). Does China seek to dominate Asia and reduce US influence as a regional power? Paper for fifth in series reframing China policy: The Carnegie debates. Sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Senate Dirksen Office Building). https://carnegieendowment.org/files/Sutter_paper.pdf. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Valencia, M. (2018, January 31). The South China Sea and the decline of US influence. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2018/01/the-south-china-sea-and-the-decline-of-us-influence/. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Weber, K. (2013). The ASEAN regional forum and the EU’s role in promoting security in Asia-Pacific. In T. Christiansen et al. (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of EU-Asia relations (pp. 344–357). Palgrave Macmillan.
Weber, K. (2014). The EU, China and Southeast Asia: Dichotomous views on dealing with human security. In J. Wouters et al. (Eds.), EU-China and the world: Analyzing the relations with the developing and emerging countries. Edward Elgar.
Weber, K., & Wong, R. (2018, April 4–7). The EU’s increasing importance as a security actor in Southeast Asia (SEA). Annual Convention of the International Studies Association. San Francisco.
Wong, R., & Tay, S. (2014). Asian institutions and the pivot. In H. Binnendijk (Ed.), A transatlantic pivot to Asia: Towards new trilateral partnerships (pp. 109–124). Center for Transatlantic Relations.
Zhu, X. (2019, August 20). China’s mega-projects in Myanmar: What next? ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Regional Strategic and Political Studies Program Seminar Talk.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Weber, K. (2021). EU–Southeast Asian Relations: What Lies Ahead?. In: Chand, B., Danner, L.K. (eds) New Challenges and Opportunities in European-Asian Relations. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68632-1_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68632-1_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-68631-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-68632-1
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)