EU Cooperation with Asian Participants of The “Democratic Security Diamond” As a Response to Challenges for Trade and Security

In the recent years, the focus of international trade and security has shifted from the Atlantic region to the Pacific region. This results from a relative growth of power of the Pacific states as compared to the rest of the world and the potential of neighbourly, regional and global conflicts having their sources in this region. A factor that was significant for these changes, but also resulting from them was the American “pivot to Asia.” The response to this process on the side of the EU and its member states was relatively weak: both with respect to the potential benefits and threats.

The study covers the EU cooperation with the selected Asian states which showed readiness and capacity for institutionalisation of cooperation. These are the countries that have initiated and continue to cooperate with the USA in the building of institutions of the Indo-Pacific region, primarily in the “Democratic Security Diamond” formula, but also the so-called “Asian NATO”, namely the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, Quad. The DSD was a Japanese initiative, encompassing Japan, Australia, India and the USA. The “America first” policy, neo-isolationism and the USA’s withdrawal from obligations created a space and the necessity for supplementing the cooperation in the region with a new “western” partner.

The key for selection of cooperation partners ˗ liberal democracies ˗ is particularly important in the face of regional and global challenges on the side of China and Russia (countries representing an antithesis of such values). Only such institution (open to the return of the USA) is capable of overcoming such challenges.

The study encompasses the legal and international context of cooperation, analysis of the level of economic ties (commercial and investment) between Australia, India and Japan against the backdrop of their ties with the USA, China and Russia, analysis of industry ties and areas of mutual cooperation and commercial competition of the EU with the examined states. This allows for assessing the potential of making use of the opportunities and mitigating the risks.

 

 

Project director:
Andżelika Kuźnar, Ph.D., SGH Professor
Financing institution:
SGH Warsaw School of Economics
Project duration:
January 2021 - November 2022
Web of science classification category:
Economics
Organizational unit (collegium/department/unit):
SGH Warsaw School of Economics
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