Europe as a model of regionalism in the Asia-Pacific?
Author: Tomoko Okagaki, National Institute of Defence Studies, Japan
The study of regionalism has resurged since the 1990s, invigorated by the developments in the real life of international politics: European integration and regional arrangements in other parts of the world. In recent years, studies have included security issues, and taken a more sceptical look at the applicability of the European model to the world.
Regional cooperation in Europe is extensive in scope and intensive in formal institutions and legal norms. Formal treaties or negotiations precede increased interaction in Europe – making regionalism in Europe politics-led or policy-induced. Asian regionalism, in contrast, has been driven by informal interaction and the growth of economic transactions (through the operation of multinational corporations and Chinese networks) without policy coordination or state-based negotiation.
These differences in regional strategy are a product of several factors.