The world is heading into a period where foundational rules once taken for granted no longer apply. The EU urgently needs to emerge from its peace dividend softness and build a power model that allows it to shape new alliances and deter adversaries.
The EU and ASEAN have diverging priorities in climate, security, technology, trade, and democracy. Stronger cooperation in these fields would enable the two blocs to tackle shared challenges and pursue common interests.
EU member states’ policies toward China have been hardening, but different national interests prevent a joint, coherent approach to Beijing. It may take a conflict over Taiwan to unify Europe.
Europe is waking up to the malevolent influence of the Chinese regime. European leaders need a common political and economic strategy to manage China’s irreversible rise.
The outcome of Russia’s war on Ukraine will determine who sets the political and economic rules for the coming decades. At stake is the rules-based international order.
Although China’s top diplomat Wang Yi sought to improve relations with the EU on his most recent trip to Europe, differences between the two powers remain stark. China has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Beijing's recent twelve-point position paper on the war has been criticized by the EU and its member states.
The EU’s economic clout makes it an important partner for both Washington and Beijing. But Europe lacks internal unity to effectively respond to U.S.-Chinese competition.
