EU leaders will meet with their Southeast Asian counterparts at a summit in Brussels, seeking to strengthen ties in the face of the war in Ukraine and challenges from China, AFP reported.
Europe is seeking to increase trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes some of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
Europeans need to reconnect with ASEAN, one of the most dynamic regions in the world, French President Emmanuel Macron said.
The EU has been making diplomatic efforts to mobilize a global front against Moscow, as the war in Ukraine has caused economic and political shock around the world. But the reaction of the ten ASEAN countries to the war has been divided. Singapore agreed with Western sanctions against Russia, while Vietnam and Laos, which have close military ties with Moscow, remained more neutral. Along with Thailand, they abstained in a U.N. vote in October condemning Russia’s attempt to annex regions of Ukraine.
The diverging views led to fierce disputes over the summit’s final declaration, as the EU pushed for tougher language to condemn Moscow.
While Europe insists on a tougher response to Russia, another global giant is looming over the summit.
China’s policies in the South China Sea have pitted it against some of its neighbors and raised concerns in Europe about trade flows through a key global artery. But China remains ASEAN’s largest trading partner, and many in the region fear distancing themselves from their giant neighbor.
The EU seeks to assert itself as a reliable partner for Southeast Asia’s dynamic economies amid growing rivalry between Beijing and Washington.
The EU and ASEAN are each other’s third-largest trading partners, and Europe views the region as a key source of raw materials and wants to expand access to its rapidly developing markets.
EU countries are seeking to diversify key supply chains beyond China, as the war in Ukraine has highlighted Europe’s vulnerability.
The EU is about to announce investments that could amount to 10 billion euros for the region as part of its Global Gateway strategy, designed as a counterweight to China’s generosity.
ASEAN and the EU suspended efforts for a joint trade deal more than a decade ago, and Brussels has focused on agreements with individual members.
So far, deals have been struck with Vietnam and Singapore, but the bloc is seeking to make progress with Indonesia, ASEAN’s largest economy, and to resume talks with Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.
One issue that could cloud discussions is a new law in Indonesia criminalizing sex outside marriage, which has raised fears among foreign tourists.
