If the EU does not enhance its relations, it will gradually be sidelined

As the European Union has grappled with its sovereign debt crisis over the past two-and-half years, its preoccupation with internal problems and turf battles between member states has weakened the continent's willingness and ability to have a strong policy toward East Asia.

Europe's immediate neighborhood has also been beset by troubles, which has greatly diverted the EU's attention. Nevertheless, just as the US has shifted its focus to Asia, the EU has also gradually increased its involvement in East Asia recently.

In October last year German Chancellor Angela Merkel traveled to Asia, visiting countries such as India, Vietnam and Mongolia. In the case of the latter, it was the first official visit by a German chancellor. British Prime Minister David Cameron was in Asia in April, including the first bilateral visit by a British prime minister to Japan since 2003, and the first visit to Myanmar by a Western leader since the country's byelections on April 1.

In late April the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, led the largest ever delegation of EU officials to the 19th EU-ASEAN ministerial dialogue.

The two regions have drawn up an ambitious five-year plan of action for enhanced cooperation in economic, political and administrative spheres, and have agreed to boost cooperation in maritime security, energy security, crisis management, human rights and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

She also made her first visit to Myanmar, opening an EU office after the EU suspended most sanctions on Myanmar on April 23.

On June 15 the Council of the European Union adopted new guidelines on the EU's foreign and security policy, updating its analysis in East Asia guidelines of 2007 regarding opportunities and risks for EU interests in East Asia. The new guidelines stressed that the EU should pay more attention to East Asia.

There are several reasons for the EU's new-found eagerness in Asia. First, the consumer market in Asia is expanding rapidly, and the EU needs to take advantage of this to boost its sluggish economy. The break-up of the eurozone is still possible. Whatever happens on that score, the EU economy will remain in a bad way for a long time, and it seems that the only hope for economic growth lies in the East.

Cameron echoed that sentiment, during his trip to Japan and Southeast Asia, saying Britain's economic future lay in no small part with its Asian partners.

For the EU, boosting trade relations is the first priority of its policy toward this region, including selling arms to Asia. For example, when Cameron visited Asia he took with him some of Britain's leading weapons manufacturers.

Second, Asia is developing fast, even in times of global recession. The world's center of gravity relentlessly continues to shift toward the Asia-Pacific region, and so Asia is becoming increasingly important to the EU's interests and global influence.

If the EU does not enhance its relations with Asia it will gradually be sidelined in global affairs. In fact there are growing concerns in the EU that the debt crisis will damage its interests and influence in Asia.

Last but not least, the US shifting its strategic focus to Asia has, to a large extent, influenced the EU's thinking on the matter. As US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: "The future of politics will be decided in Asia, not Afghanistan or Iraq, and the United States will be right at the center of the action."

With regard to Clinton's words, Asia's role and importance is undoubted. Unless Europe is involved in Asia and plays a meaningful role, it will continue to be neglected by the US.

So what will the EU do in its relations with Asia? According to the guidelines on the EU's foreign and security policy in East Asia, the EU "needs a more developed, coherent and focused common foreign and security policy in East Asia, the purpose of which is to secure and advance the EU interests".

The EU wants to: boost its strategic partnerships in the region (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea); deepen its engagement with ASEAN; develop its strategic dialogue on East Asia with the US; develop exchanges on regional issues with other important players including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and Russia; conclude free-trade negotiations with Singapore and Malaysia and extend its network of free-trade agreements to other Southeast Asian countries, and strengthen region-to-region trade dialogue; and consider parallel free-trade agreement and framework agreement negotiations with Japan.

The EU is clearly ambitious in regard to East Asia in particular and Asia in general. Certainly the EU's increasing involvement in Asia will affect China. First, the EU is China's most important trading partner, and the importance of Asia in terms of trade for China is growing rapidly.

The EU's assertive trade policy toward Asia will surely harm China's trade relationship with both the EU and neighboring Asian countries.

On the one hand, since China and many Asian countries have some similar export sectors and products, when those Asian countries, such as South Korea, have a free-trade agreement with the EU, China's competitiveness in the EU market will be weakened by this. It will become harder for China to maintain its export growth in the EU.

On the other hand, when the EU has free-trade agreements with China's important trading partners in Asia, its exports to this region will rise, and to some extent at the expense of Chinese exports to these countries.

Second, European countries selling arms to this region will make the already tense situation even worse. Due to the hard economic times, EU countries' impulse to sell arms to this region is growing. When criticized by domestic media for visiting Asia with executives from six defense contractors, Cameron said it was "perfectly responsible and respectable".

While the region does not lack for territorial and marine disputes, the involvement of outside countries, especially through arms deals and military exercises, can only make matters worse.

Third, the EU does not have its own independent security policy. In security matters the EU usually follows the US. When the US shifts its strategic focus to Asia, the EU will, sooner or later, follow the US policy in this region simply to please Washington and prove its importance as an ally in security matters.

The EU has already said it will develop its strategic dialogue on East Asia with the US. In April the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, Kurt Campbell, said in Tokyo that the Atlantic allies should work together in a structured, systematic way in rising Asia.

Certainly, if the EU acts in Asia according to the US line, it will only make the security situation in Asia even more complicated and dangerous.

While Asia is on the rise and the EU's interests in this region continue to grow, the EU's increasing involvement in Asia is understandable. But the EU should do its homework to better understand this very diverse region. That way it can play a constructive and positive role in the region.

The author is a researcher with the Institute of European Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.