The Securitisation of EU-Asia Relations in the Post-Cold War Era

Abstract

In the last two decades EU-Asia security relations (both in traditional and non-traditional issues) have grown in quantity and quality. Europe and Asia have been able to push forward their security relations under the protective military umbrella of the US. This chapter examines three main areas of EU-Asia cooperation: (i) economic and financial security; (ii) non-traditional security; and (iii) defence and military issues. While the EU continues to be perceived as mainly a civilian power in Asia, data on European arms sales and EU-China cooperation on satellite navigation and space technology invite qualification of this view. It appears that EU member states’ economic interests in Asia consist in large part of arms exports, making Europe already (though unconsciously) an additional factor in Asia’s strategic balance. Moreover, the promotion of EU member states’ space and defence interests contributes to sideline relations at the EU level and sends mixed signals to Asia’s policy-makers. To overcome this apparent contradiction, it is argued in the Conclusion that the EU needs to be more coherent and push forward plans for establishing itself as a soft security actor in the region. This could be done, initially, by fostering closer political relations — including an upgraded dialogue on defence issues — with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping, ultimately aiming to promote a multilateral security architecture and counterbalance the more unilateral — and sometimes hegemonic — attitudes of the US and China.