Regionalism in East Asia: A Bumpy Road to Asian Integration

The shifting global power centre from the West to the East, China’s rise, and the United States’ “pivot” to the Asia-Pacific region have all accelerated the integration processes in East Asia. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is trying to enhance its internal cooperation and extend it to other, non-ASEAN countries. Simultaneously, in Northeast Asia, despite territorial and historical disputes, China, Japan and South Korea are deepening trilateral cooperation. But integration processes in Asia differ from the EU model. Asian states that prioritise the preservation of sovereignty and focus on national interests are reluctant to engage in political integration, concentrating instead on loose economic cooperation. Nevertheless, recent initiatives to deepen economic integration in East Asia are in the EU’s interest, offering an opportunity for greater region-to-region cooperation.

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