Author: Michito Tsuruoka, NIDS

Does ASEM remain relevant in today’s world? On October 4 and 5, nearly 50 heads of state and government from Europe and the Asia-Pacific will assemble for the 8th biennial summit meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Brussels. But the meeting is receiving little coverage from the international press, and is likely to experience low participation rates to ASEM ministerial meetings, to which many mere deputies are sent.

Launched in 1996, ASEM’s aim was to provide a bridge between Europe and Asia. Europeans eagerly sought to catch up to the US and Japan in negotiating with emerging Asia. Whilst major European countries had previous relationships with ASEAN and some regional countries before ASEM, these relationships were outdated and not suited for a new era of dynamic, equitable partnerships. In turn, Asians wanted a new relationship with Europe to expand foreign relations and diversify export markets.

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