LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Autumn 2009

by Xinning Song

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Sir,

Jing Men is quite right to say the European Union faces an uphill struggle to achieve a coherent and focused foreign policy towards East Asia. Despite successive policy statements since 1994, a European strategy still exists only on paper. True, the 2007 policy guidelines highlighted political objectives and security concerns, but the dilemma always remains the same: how to combine Europe’s substantial economic interests in the region with the Union’s developing political ambitions.

I think there are two basic questions. Is there a clear and realistic EU strategy towards East Asia? And is there an effective policy instrument to implement it? Unfortunately, the answer is not very positive in either case. The Commission’s policy has little impact on member states, and there is no effective mechanism for the EU to tighten its relationship with East Asia. The partnerships with Japan and China are not truly strategic, while ASEM is more a bi-annual talking shop. In reality it will be impossible for the EU to develop a unified and targeted East Asian foreign and security policy in the near future, even were the Lisbon treaty to come into force.

The EU’s relationship with China is certainly the most important in the region. Each side regards the other as a strategic partner, but it is a partnership without clearly defined common strategic interests. Although the EU is China’s No 1 trading partner, China pays more attention to its economic ties with East Asia. Beijing’s major strategic and security interests remain in Asia. The EU plays a very small role in the Korean Peninsula, while Europe’s concerns over the Taiwan Strait dispute increases Chinese suspicions about EU intentions. The EU arms embargo and its refusal to grant China full market economy status make EU-Chinese negotiations on a Partnership Cooperation Agreement more difficult. As John Fox and François Godement suggested in a recent report ("A power audit of EU-China relations", European Council on Foreign Relations) the EU should move its China policy from unconditional to reciprocal engagement, although I do not fully agree with this.

My advice is that neither the EU nor China should have great expectations of each other. China is a world power that still focuses on domestic and regional affairs. Beijing would like to reform, but won’t be forced into action by the EU or anyone else. The EU is an economic giant but not yet a real global player. And Europe’s vaunted soft power is regarded by many Chinese as weak power.

I believe EU policy in East Asia should be more realistic and pragmatic. It should focus on a limited number of issues and not be over-ambitious politically. The EU could chose to play a normative role in global and regional security issues, as well as political and social affairs. But it will need more effective and constructive measures to implement such a strategy.