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Trading Freely with East Asia: Challenges and Opportunities for EU FTAs in the Region

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As the fastest growing region in the world, East Asia is an important partner for the European Union, particularly at a time of economic difficulty. Asian countries have weathered the recent financial and economic crisis much better than Europe and much better than initially anticipated, with China and several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recording relatively impressive growth rates. As a result, self-confidence has been growing in Asia while European economies feel increasingly challenged.

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At the same time East Asia is now also seen as an important potential contributor to Europe's growth. But East Asian economies will not be in a position to maintain their impressive growth rates in the absence of economic recovery in Europe. As a result, there is a growing awareness of the two regions' interdependence, and in particular a deepening understanding in Europe of the importance of the Europe-Asia partnership, with preferential trading agreements (PTAs1) as major means of enhancing the bilateral relationship.

The objective of this one-day conference entitled “Trading freely with East Asia” was to take stock of the implementation of the Commission's PTA strategy as defined in the “Global Europe” vision put forward in 2006 and to examine the challenges associated with ongoing and future PTA negotiations between the EU and a sampling of East Asian partners. To this end, the conference brought together European and Asian representatives from government and business, as well as a number of independent observers.

The meetings began with a general discussion on the EU's Free Trade Strategy, before zeroing in on bilateral EU-East Asia relations, examining in turn existing agreements, ongoing negotiations and the opportunities and challenges associated with potential future agreements. The following is a set of general observations gleaned from these discussions.

 

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Trading Freely with East Asia: Challenges and Opportunities for EU FTAs in the Region

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Asia Map
Center for Asian Studies
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Asia is a nerve center for multiple global economic, political and security challenges. The Center for Asian Studies provides documented expertise and a platform for discussion on Asian issues to accompany decision makers and explain and contextualize developments in the region for the sake of a larger public dialogue.

The Center's research is organized along two major axes: relations between Asia's major powers and the rest of the world; and internal economic and social dynamics of Asian countries. The Center's research focuses primarily on China, Japan, India, Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific, but also covers Southeast Asia, the Korean peninsula and the Pacific Islands. 

The Centre for Asian Studies maintains close institutional links with counterpart research institutes in Europe and Asia, and its researchers regularly carry out fieldwork in the region.

The Center organizes closed-door roundtables, expert-level seminars and a number of public events, including an Annual Conference, that welcome experts from Asia, Europe and the United States. The work of Center’s researchers, as well as that of their partners, is regularly published in the Center’s electronic journal Asie.Visions.

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Date de publication
13 November 2024
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Taiwan, known for its leadership in semiconductors and information and communications technology (ICT), is now making significant strides in the space industry. While historically modest, Taiwan’s space program has seen a transformation since 2020, driven by President Tsai Ing-wen’s commitment to expanding the country’s space capabilities. Key milestones include the passage of the Space Development Act and the creation of the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), which has bolstered the resources and visibility of Taiwan’s space ambitions.

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AI and Technical Standardization in China and the EU: Diverging priorities and the need for common ground

Date de publication
31 October 2024
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Given the highly disruptive potential of AI, global cooperation on AI safety and governance is imperative, and yet the deeply transformational potential of AI also ensures that a high level of competition and systemic rivalry is likely unavoidable. How can the EU best manage its complex relationship with China in the field of AI so as to ensure a necessary level of cooperation in spite of competition and rivalry?

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China’s Quest for a Quantum Leap

Date de publication
22 October 2024
Accroche

The global race to harness quantum science is intensifying. Recognizing the strategic potential of quantum technology for economic, military, and scientific advancement, China is focusing on quantum breakthroughs as a way to shift the balance of power, especially in its competition with the United States. President Xi Jinping has emphasized the importance of scientific innovation, particularly in quantum fields, to fuel national development and ensure security.

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Taiwan's Energy Supply: The Achilles Heel of National Security

Date de publication
22 October 2024
Accroche

Making Taiwan a “dead island” through “a blockade” and “disruption of energy supplies” leading to an “economic collapse.” This is how Colonel Zhang Chi of the People’s Liberation Army and professor at the National Defense University in Beijing described the objective of the Chinese military exercises in May 2024, following the inauguration of Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te. Similar to the exercises that took place after Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in August 2022, China designated exercise zones facing Taiwan’s main ports, effectively simulating a military embargo on Taiwan. These maneuvers illustrate Beijing’s growing pressure on the island, which it aims to conquer, and push Taiwan to question its resilience capacity.

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Trading Freely with East Asia: Challenges and Opportunities for EU FTAs in the Region