Security cooperation in and with Asia: towards a pragmatic turn in the EU’s security policy?

ABSTRACT

Since the adoption of the first EU-Asia Strategy in 1994, there has been persistent scepticism about the EU’s ability to play a significant role in Asian security. Yet, since the release of the 2012 Updated East Asia Policy Guidelines, the EU has declared its intent to make greater practical contributions to Asian security. Against these premises, this article attempts to reflect on the evolution of the EU’s security approach to Asia, with the ultimate goal of analysing to what degree, it represents a continuation or a departure from former EU policies in the region. In scrutinising these developments, this article argues that in light of the strategic changes, that have occurred in Europe and in Asia, the EU has started to revise its security approach to the region in more pragmatic terms. The pragmatic character of the EU is seen as looking into the changes of the content of the security discourse, which appears increasingly depoliticised and, into the new practices of cooperation, which unlike in the past, seek to empower local actors, are sensitive to local needs and, call for greater security collaboration between the EU and Asian countries, to cope with regional and global challenges.

KEYWORDS:

• EU global strategy
• EU-Asia security relations
• pragmatism
• non-traditional security
• East Asia

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on earlier drafts of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributor

Dr Angela Pennisi di Floristella is a lecturer in International Relations at the University of Malta. Her research focuses on Asian Pacific security cooperation with a special focus on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and on ASEAN-EU interregional relations. She has authored the book The ASEAN Regional Security Partnership published by Palgrave MacMillan in 2015.

Notes

1 The EAS is a forum founded in 2005 which brings together all the key Asian powers – plus the United States and Russia (since 2011). The ADMM Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners to strengthen security and defense cooperation in the region.

2 In this regard, one has to note that, since the release of the “Towards a New Asia Strategy”, Asian countries have been grouped according to different geographic regions, namely East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and later on, Central Asia also.

3 ASEAN is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten Southeast Asian members, which promotes political-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation in the region. ASEM is an informal forum for dialogue and cooperation on political, economic, and cultural issues between European and Asian states, the European Commission, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the ASEAN Regional Forum. The ARF, is Asia’s first region wide security institution that brings together ASEAN member states, major powers (US, China, Japan and Russia) and the EU.

4 This aspect is noted by most of our interviewees.

5 Inter alia, the EU’s effort to reconcile a pragmatic stance with the defense of fundamental values has been demonstrated by the EU’s recent launch of a process that could lead to the temporary suspension of preferential access of Cambodia (and possibly also Myanmar) to the EU market due to the gravity of alleged shortcomings in respecting core human rights.

6 This statement is confirmed by a number of interviews. Interview no. 3 with a high official at the EEAS, Brussels, 06 February 2019; Interview no. 8 and 9 are with two high officials at the EEAS, 8 February 2019.

7 This statement is confirmed by a number of interviews. Interview no. 1 with an Expert at the European Institute for Asian Studies, 5 February 2019; Interview no. 3 with a high official at the EEAS, Brussels, 6 February 2019; Interview no. 8 and 9 with two high officials at the EEAS, 8 February 2019.

8 Interview no. 3 with a high official at the EEAS, Brussels, 6 February 2019.

9 Interview no. 3 with a high official at the EEAS, Brussels, 6 February 2019.

10 Interview no. 3 with a high official at the EEAS, Brussels, 6 February 2019.