Dr Yeo Lay Hwee

Dr Yeo Lay Hwee
Singapore Institute of International Affairs, Singapore

The ASEM Framework and EU-East Asia Relations: Potential and Reality

Abstract:

There are many strands of cooperation that make up EU-East Asia relations such as the longstanding bloc-to-bloc EU-ASEAN partnership, the fast growing EU-China relations, the relations between EU and Japan, and EU and South Korea. ASEM is the latest and the most ambitious attempts to provide a framework of EU-East Asia relations.

ASEM was launched with some fanfare in 1996 with an inaugural summit of leaders from the EU member states, the European Commission, ASEAN, China, Japan and Korea. The confidence of the East Asian countries, the reaction to APEC in the case of Europe and the fears of a fortress Europe in the case of East Asia, and a constellations of push and pull factors provided the backdrop leading to the conception and birth of ASEM.

A decade down the road, what has ASEM achieved? Has the ASEM framework provided a significant boost to the EU-East Asia relations? Has EU-East Asia relations strengthened not only for the mutual benefit of the two regions but also contribute to the global governance? Has EU and East Asia defined and enhanced their roles as global players as they become more and more involve in each other’s regions?

This chapter will examine in detail the development of the ASEM process and its impact on EU-East Asia partnership. In the process, it will also explore questions about the EU’s strategic interest and vision – or lack of, the role that EU should play vis-à-vis global governance, the choices to be made on the different strands of EU-East Asia relations.

Biographical note:

Dr Yeo Lay Hwee, M.A (University of Canterbury), Ph.D (National University of Singapore) is Senior Research Fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs and Honorary Fellow at the Contemporary Europe Research Centre (CERC), University of Melbourne. The focus of her research includes peace and development in ASEAN, ASEAN’s external relations (particularly with the European Union), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) process and comparative regionalism.
Prior to her present positions at the SIIA and CERC, Dr Yeo had worked in the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Information and the Arts, and taught at the University of Macau and National University of Singapore. She had also worked in other research think tanks such as the Institute of Policy Studies, the Danish Institute of International Affairs in Copenhagen, and was also Senior Visiting Fellow at the International Institute for Asian Studies at University of Leiden.

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